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Openers Priyank Panchal and Abhimanyu Easwaran on Saturday scored brilliant centuries as India A put up an imposing total of 376/1 on the first day of the unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A in Belgaum.At stumps, Easwaran was batting on an unbeaten 189...

Openers Priyank Panchal and Abhimanyu Easwaran on Saturday scored brilliant centuries as India A put up an imposing total of 376/1 on the first day of the unofficial Test against Sri Lanka A in Belgaum.

At stumps, Easwaran was batting on an unbeaten 189 off 250 balls with the help of 17 boundaries and three sixes, and Jayant Yadav on six.

Panchal (160 off 261 balls) and Easwaran stitched a huge 352-run partnership for the opening wicket.

Belgaum has been a happy hunting ground for Panchal as he belted his second century at the venue. His first ton came in a Ranji Trophy match in December 2016 when he hammered 113 against Tamil Nadu.

Panchal is the first batsman from Gujarat to accumulate 1,000 runs in a Ranji season. He played a composed innings, hitting nine boundaries and two sixes during his 262-ball knock.

Opting to bat, Panchal and Easwaran took India A total to 113/0 at lunch. In the post-lunch session, both the openers maintained the tempo and added another 125 runs without losing any wicket.

At the tea break, both Panchal and Easwaran had completed their centuries being unbeaten at 101 and 125, respectively.

As far as Sri Lanka A bowlers were concerned, they were sent into a leather hunt by the...

Senior Mumbai players Aditya Tare and Suryakumar Yadav on Saturday batted for introduction of Decision Review System in Ranji Trophy matches on the lines of international matches and the Indian Premier League. During the Ranji captains’ conclave held...

Senior Mumbai players Aditya Tare and Suryakumar Yadav on Saturday batted for introduction of Decision Review System in Ranji Trophy matches on the lines of international matches and the Indian Premier League.

During the Ranji captains’ conclave held in Mumbai recently, the introduction of DRS system in Ranji Trophy and doing away with the concept of coin toss were among the suggestions put forward by the captains and coaches of the domestic teams.

“Yes absolutely, it’s a great move, if at all it happens. Because it is the need of the hour. If you have technology, you might as well use it,” Tare told reporters on Saturday.

“See in domestic cricket there are lots of decisions that can sometimes go against you because of umpiring errors. If we have an opportunity to correct it, then why not use it. It’s going to be great (if it happens),” Tare said.

Yadav too backed the suggestion.

“Rightly said - if there is a technology and if you can use it, you should use it. As we see there are lots of errors and we are all humans and are bound to make mistakes. If there is a technology, we can use it and go ahead,” said Surya, who...

Newly elected MPs of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance met on Saturday to formally elect Prime Minister Narendra Modi as their leader to head the new government. The meeting was held in Central Hall of Parliament around 6 pm.The...

Newly elected MPs of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance met on Saturday to formally elect Prime Minister Narendra Modi as their leader to head the new government. The meeting was held in Central Hall of Parliament around 6 pm.

The prime minister is likely to meet President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday evening to stake claim to form the new government, PTI reported, quoting unidentified officials.

“This is the beginning of achieving our resolution to build a New India,” Modi said addressing the NDA parliamentary meeting. “We must move ahead with new energy but at the same time also understand the Indian democracy...The conscience of the Indian voter is unparalleled, the voter never respects those hungry for power.”

The BJP leader said the NDA must walk “shoulder-to-shoulder” and that he is happy to be the one who takes the blame if anything goes wrong. “You [NDA members] have chosen me your leader, I think it is only part of the process. But I am one of you, just an equal,” he said.

People did not only vote for the BJP in 2014, they also showed the government the way...they were participants, Modi said. “When people have faith, instead of anti-incumbency, there is a pro-incumbency wave,” he added.

Two more mountaineers died on Mount Everest on Saturday, bringing to 10 the toll of climbers who died on the world’s tallest mountain over the last week, AFP reported. British climber Robin Fisher reached the summit on Saturday morning but fell ill...

British climber Robin Fisher reached the summit on Saturday morning but fell ill while descending. “He died because of weakness after a long ascent and difficult descent,” Murari Sharma of the Everest Parivar Treks company, which arranged his logistics, told Reuters. “He was descending with his sherpa guides from the summit when he suddenly fainted.”

Meanwhile, Irish climber Kevin Hynes died on Friday morning on the northern Tibet side, his expedition organisers said in a statement on their Facebook page. “Kevin passed away in his tent at the North Col at 7,000 m in the early hours [Nepali time] of the 24th May,” 360 Expeditions said in a statement, adding that on May 23 he had begun his descent from Camp III on the Everest.

There have been reports of overcrowding and queuing climbers near the summit. Climbers usually attempt to scale the Himalayan peaks along with their guides between the months of March and May. The director of Nepal’s department of tourism, Mira Acharya, said 381 international mountaineers were granted permits to climb the Mount...

Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel has extended his deal with the French Ligue 1 champions through to June 2021, the club announced on Saturday.The 45-year-old German took over in June 2018 and despite winning Ligue 1 has come under scrutiny after...

Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel has extended his deal with the French Ligue 1 champions through to June 2021, the club announced on Saturday.

The 45-year-old German took over in June 2018 and despite winning Ligue 1 has come under scrutiny after the Parisian club’s defeat to Manchester United in the Champions League last 16.

“I’m delighted to extend my contract and commitment to Paris Saint-Germain,” Tuchel said. “I’d like to thank the chairman and the whole club for their trust in me and my staff.

“This only reinforces my ambition to bring this team to the very top through hard work. I’m also very touched by the backing of our supporters, and I’m sure that the best is yet to come for our club,” he told the club website.

“For a year now, Thomas has been bringing fantastic energy to the daily life of the club, not only for the players, but for the whole of Paris Saint-Germain,” the Qatari said. “We are delighted to be able to rely on his qualities on a long-term basis.”

Former Pakistan cricketers have urged skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed to bat higher up the order so that the team could post big totals in the upcoming World Cup, starting May 30.“Sarfaraz does not have the big shots to justify his batting at number 5, 6 or 7....

Former Pakistan cricketers have urged skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed to bat higher up the order so that the team could post big totals in the upcoming World Cup, starting May 30.

“Sarfaraz does not have the big shots to justify his batting at number 5, 6 or 7. He needs to bat higher up so that he can build his innings and help Pakistan get big totals,” former captain Shahid Afridi said.

“He is wasting himself coming lower than four and this doesn’t help the team. If Pakistan is to do well in the World Cup, Sarfaraz has a big role to play as captain and player. He has to be the leader on and off the field,” he added.

Sarfaraz’s batting position has become a matter of debate as he has batted mostly lower down the order but moved up a couple of times in the recent ODI series against England but on Friday in the warm-up game against Afghanistan, he again came late at number six.

“He has to realise that his worth for the team is at number four or five. He is the sort of player who can change the momentum of the game with his rotation of strike and ability to keep the scoreboard...

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said she has offered to resign from the post of West Bengal chief minister, but her party had rejected it. In her first press conference since the results were announced on Thursday, Banerjee also...

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said she has offered to resign from the post of West Bengal chief minister, but her party had rejected it. In her first press conference since the results were announced on Thursday, Banerjee also alleged that Electronic Voting Machines were tampered with during the elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party alone secured 303 of 542 Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress won 52 seats. In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress won 22 out of 42 seats, while the BJP raised its tally from two seats in 2014 to 18 this year. The Congress won only two seats here.

“My party did not accept it [her offer to quit as the chief minister],” she told reporters at a press conference in Kalighat in Kolkata. “I was alone. So I have to continue according to the wishes of my party.”

Banerjee accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of polarising the voters of Bengal and creating an Emergency-like situation to win the elections. “This election was nothing but a farce... It was all about pumping in money and nothing else... How will we fight this? Where will we seek reprieve?” she said, according to News18.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee: I told at the beginning of the meeting...

The Indian team heaved a sigh of relief after scan reports revealed that all-rounder Vijay Shankar hasn’t sustained a fracture on his right forearm after being hit by nets bowler Khaleel Ahmed during a training session on Friday. Shankar had left the...

The Indian team heaved a sigh of relief after scan reports revealed that all-rounder Vijay Shankar hasn’t sustained a fracture on his right forearm after being hit by nets bowler Khaleel Ahmed during a training session on Friday.

Shankar had left the field and was taken for a precautionary scan, the reports of which came on Saturday.

“Vijay Shankar was hit on his right forearm during practice on Friday. He underwent scans and no fracture has been detected. BCCI Medical Team is aiding him in his recovery,” the board posted on their twitter handle.

However, the Tamil Nadu all-rounder did not take part in the first warm-up game. According to a PTI report, he is also unlikely to play in the second practice match against Bangladesh at Cardiff on Tuesday as there is a bit of bruise, which will take time to heal.

Shankar on Saturday took some throwdowns batting ‘single-handed’ during the net session prior to the New Zealand game.

Hindi filmmaker and television anchor Karan Johar will host Netflix’s upcoming dating show What The Love?, the streaming service announced in a press release on Saturday. The news was announced to mark Johar’s 47th birthday on Saturday.Romance will...

Hindi filmmaker and television anchor Karan Johar will host Netflix’s upcoming dating show What The Love?, the streaming service announced in a press release on Saturday. The news was announced to mark Johar’s 47th birthday on Saturday.

Romance will be given a “new perspective” through the show, according to the press note. “What The Love? With Karan Johar, a one-of-a-kind dating reality show will be hosted by the man himself. Known for telling great love stories, Karan will be sharing his thoughts on love and relationships, but with an unexpected twist,” the note read. The show will be produced by BBC Studios India. The airdate has not yet been announced.

At least 29 prisoners were killed and 19 police officers injured in clashes at a jail in western Venezuela on Friday, BBC reported. The incident occurred in Acarigua jail when police special forces tried to stop a “massive” prison break-out. “There...

At least 29 prisoners were killed and 19 police officers injured in clashes at a jail in western Venezuela on Friday, BBC reported.

The incident occurred in Acarigua jail when police special forces tried to stop a “massive” prison break-out. “There was an attempted escape and a fight broke out among [rival] gangs,” Oscar Valero, the public security secretary of Portuguesa state, told Reuters. “With police intervention to prevent the escape, well, there were 29 deaths.”

Valero also said the police officers had faced “a hail of gunfire” and that inmates apparently detonated two grenades.

While some prisoners rights groups blamed the inmates, other groups questioned the official version of events. Rights group Una Ventana a la Libertad said the clashes broke out when officers attempted to rescue visitors who had been taken hostage by the leader of the inmates on Thursday.

But Humberto Prado of the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory asked: “How is it that there was a confrontation between prisoners and police, but there are only dead prisoners? And if the prisoners had weapons, how did those weapons get in?” Prado said prisoners have been demanding government help to avoid being transferred to distant prisons where relatives cannot visit them.

India and hosts England have widely been considered the favourites in the run-up to the 2019 ICC World Cup. But as we’ve inched closer to the marquee event, one other team has firmly established itself as a title contender. That country, of course, is...

India and hosts England have widely been considered the favourites in the run-up to the 2019 ICC World Cup. But as we’ve inched closer to the marquee event, one other team has firmly established itself as a title contender. That country, of course, is Australia. If there’s a 50-over World Cup, you don’t rule out the men in yellow. Period.

The most successful team in the tournament’s history, Australia have suffered indifferent form in One-day Internationals for the better part of the past two years. However, success in their last two ODI series, followed by the return of Steve Smith and David Warner, has provided Aaron Finch’s squad an ominous look.

The Aussies surely don’t form the most settled outfit heading into the 10-team tournament. Their batting order isn’t locked, the spin department isn’t the best in class, and their pacers, as talented as they are individually, haven’t played enough matches together in the recent past to gel as a unit. However, the sheer amount of match-winners in their ranks, along with the team’s pedigree, makes them impossible to ignore.

History at the World Cup

Choosing one particular team that’s the best in ODI cricket history is a difficult task. Clive Lloyd’s West Indies of the 70s and 80s make...

Grieving Pakistan cricketer Asif Ali on Saturday left for England to join up with his country’s World Cup squad following the funeral of his daughter, who he said will continue to be his strength and inspiration.Asif left the team’s tour of England...

Grieving Pakistan cricketer Asif Ali on Saturday left for England to join up with his country’s World Cup squad following the funeral of his daughter, who he said will continue to be his strength and inspiration.

Asif left the team’s tour of England and returned to Pakistan following the death last Sunday of 19-month-old Dua Fatima, who had been receiving cancer treatment in the United States. She was buried in the Punjab province city of Faisalabad on Thursday.

“I want to remember Dua Fatima as a warrior,” tweeted 27-year-old Asif. “She was my strength and inspiration. The fragrance of her memories is going to stay with me forever. I again request you all to pray for the soul of my princess. Thanks again for being there for me.”

Middle-order batsman Asif was not named in the preliminary squad for the World Cup but was called up after hitting two half-centuries in the ODI series against England, which Pakistan lost 4-0. He will be available for Pakistan’s second warm-up match against Bangladesh in Cardiff on Sunday.

Asif called on Pakistan fans to support the side, who open their World Cup campaign with a match against the West Indies in Nottingham on Friday. “We as a team will be in...

“This pattern of growing religious nationalism, violence, disregard for institutions, rampant misinformation, weak and corrupt opposition, we’re seeing all of this all around the globe...Democracies are backsliding and it’s not just me saying...

“This pattern of growing religious nationalism, violence, disregard for institutions, rampant misinformation, weak and corrupt opposition, we’re seeing all of this all around the globe...Democracies are backsliding and it’s not just me saying this”. In a recent episode of his show, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, the American comedian said that something much deeper is at stake here – and he is not the only one saying this.

American neo-conservative political scientist, Francis Fukuyama, known more popularly for declaring the “end of history” after the fall of the Berlin wall with his 1989 article “The End of History”, also sees this around himself as he writes his most recent book, Identity: Contemporary Identity Politics and the Struggle for Recognition. He says that he would have not written this book had Donald Trump, the poster-child of populist nationalism, not been elected the President of the United States in 2016, and that this book is his attempt to explain the rise of the right wing across the globe.

The reversal of liberalism

Fukuyama argues that threats to democracy are emerging from within established democracies themselves as they are giving in to identity politics and being defined in terms of the dissonance between one’s true inner self and an...

YSR Congress Party President Jaganmohan Reddy was unanimously elected the leader of the legislature party on Saturday, paving the way for him to become the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, IANS reported.All 151 newly-elected YSR Congress Party...

YSR Congress Party President Jaganmohan Reddy was unanimously elected the leader of the legislature party on Saturday, paving the way for him to become the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, IANS reported.

Reddy’s name was proposed by senior legislator Botsa Satyanarayana and seconded by Dharmana Prasada Rao and other senior leaders. Reddy and senior party leaders are expected to meet Governor ESL Narasimhan in Hyderabad to submit the resolution electing him as leader. The swearing-in is slated for May 30 in Vijayawada.

Reddy reportedly told his MLAs at the meeting that the “massive mandate of 151 MLAs given by people was for values and credibility”. “It was now the responsibility of YSRCP [YSR Congress Party] to live up to their expectations. Lot of reforms would be brought about in administration,” he said, according to The Hindu. He vowed to provide a clean administration.

The YSR Congress unseated the Telugu Desam Party from power. The Telugu Desam Party led by former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu won just 23 seats in the Assembly elections. The Assembly has 175 elected seats.

Film producer Harvey Weinstein and his former studio’s board members have reached a tentative $44 million deal to resolve civil lawsuits with women who accused him of sexual harassment and misconduct, CNN reported on Friday. The proposed settlement...

The proposed settlement allocates about $14 million for legal fees to Weinstein’s associates who have been named as co-defendants in several of the suits. The remaining $30 million will go to alleged victims, and former employees of the Weinstein Company, an unidentified source with knowledge of the settlement told CNN. The proposed settlement will be considered by a judge on June 4.

The lawsuits are one of the main ways by which Weinstein could be held responsible for his alleged actions. Over 80 women have accused him of sexual misconduct. Many of the complaints involve sexual harassment, which is a civil violation, not a criminal one.

The names of the women who are involved in the settlement have not been released. Actress Ashley Judd, one of the first women to come forward with allegations against the producer, distanced herself from the settlement. She tweeted that her separate legal case against Weinstein was ongoing and she intended to take him to trial.

This brave man Ketan Jorawadia saved peoples from #suratfireaccident. #bravery pic.twitter.com/3Fnnyr8fJQ— R I T E S H (@_r_i_t_e_s_h) May 25, 2019 As the death toll in the horrific fire at a commercial complex in Surat continued to rise, videos of a...

As the death toll in the horrific fire at a commercial complex in Surat continued to rise, videos of a Good Samaritan risking his life to get students out of the burning building have earned him praise online.

The man was seen balancing precariously on a ledge of the three-storied building, helping several students who were attending summer coaching classes on the building’s rooftop to climb down safely. Some Twitter users identified the man as Ketan Jorawadia and showered him with praise for his bravery

Braveheart 🙏Ketan Jorawadia climbed up to 2nd floor & saved life of 2 students yesterday in Takshshila complex #SuratFireTragedyPutting his own life at risk in sure death zone & going all out to save lives of fellow citizen is an extraordinary braverySalute & Respect Ketan🙏 pic.twitter.com/9t6vTaGFTn

My heartfelt condolences to children who lost their lives in the tragic incident in Surat yesterday. Very proud of Ketan Jorawadia, who showed exemplary courage and saved atleast 2 children from falling in the fire. pic.twitter.com/dNW1qjb75o

With the 2019 edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup set to begin on May 30, we look back at the most memorable moments from the tournament’s four-decade-long history. You can read the entire series here.Moment No 5The Cricket World Cup is no...

With the 2019 edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup set to begin on May 30, we look back at the most memorable moments from the tournament’s four-decade-long history. You can read the entire series here.

Moment No 5

The Cricket World Cup is no stranger to feel-good underdog stories. The 1983 fairytale of India, the 1996 victory for Sri Lanka, the 2003 semi-final finish for Kenya, the runner-up finish by New Zealand in 2015: these immediately pop into our minds.

One other win *should* always feature in this list but it is often remembered for the wrong reasons is Ireland’s win over Pakistan in 2007: a forgettable World Cup edition for many a reason.

It should not have been the case. Any other sport, you would have probably embraced a World Cup debutant stunning a previous World Champion. But cricket, in years to come, saw that result as a threat to their commercial interests. Without realising what they had done, Ireland made life more difficult for themselves to succeed at the highest level by eliminating Pakistan and entering the Super Eight stage of 2007 World Cup.

And that’s not even half of the incredible day that was in the Caribbean in March 2007.

Samantha Akkineni is Swathi, a 20-something woman who loves to sing in BV Nandini Reddy’s upcoming Telugu comedy Oh Baby. The teaser reveals that there is more to the character than meets the eye. “You are going to have a hell of a time, watch...

Samantha Akkineni is Swathi, a 20-something woman who loves to sing in BV Nandini Reddy’s upcoming Telugu comedy Oh Baby. The teaser reveals that there is more to the character than meets the eye. “You are going to have a hell of a time, watch out,” Samantha’s character says.

The film is based on a 70-year-old single mother (Lakshmi), who gets transformed into a younger woman (Samantha). The Telugu film is an official remake of Hwang Dong-hyuk’s South Korean comedy Miss Granny (2014), in which an older woman gets a new lease of life when she is zapped into the body of a 20-year-old woman after a visit to a photo booth. The Telugu film also stars Naga Shaurya, Rajendra Prasad, Rao Ramesh, Urvashi, Pragati and Teja.

Indian squash player Mahesh Mangaonkar, the top seed moved into the final of the Sekisui Open, a Professional Squash Association event on Saturday in Kriens, Switzerland.He will meet the third seed Bernat Jaume of Spain in the final.Winner of the event...

Indian squash player Mahesh Mangaonkar, the top seed moved into the final of the Sekisui Open, a Professional Squash Association event on Saturday in Kriens, Switzerland.

He will meet the third seed Bernat Jaume of Spain in the final.

Winner of the event three years ago, Mangaonkar breezed into the title-round late on Friday beating the fourth seed Daniel Mekbib of Czech Republic 11-4, 6-11, 11-4, 11-8.

It has been a wonderful time so far for Mangaonkar as he went past his two previous opponents without dropping a game after earning a first round bye.

Here is a 7+ minute video, from ABC, of Trump calling on multiple senior aides to defend him and vouch for his 'calm' demeanor in the infrastructure meeting with Democrats after Nancy Pelosi said that he'd had a temper tantrum....

Here is a 7+ minute video, from ABC, of Trump calling on multiple senior aides to defend him and vouch for his 'calm' demeanor in the infrastructure meeting with Democrats after Nancy Pelosi said that he'd had a temper tantrum. pic.twitter.com/iiLcrjnTe4

United States President Donald Trump called on each of his aides to defend him publicly after reports stated that he stormed out of a meeting with Democrats within minutes on Wednesday.

He went on to address reporters and said he could not work with the Democrats as long as they were investigating him. Seemingly irked by news stories that he had lost his temper, Trump asked White House staff and advisors who were present at the meeting to talk about his temperament.

Those Trump called on include White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway, White House Director of Strategic Communications Mercedes Schlapp and Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

He asked all of them to describe his temperament and back up his account of being calm and collected. “Very calm and straightforward, and clear, that we have to actually work and do good things for the American people,” Sanders said in reply while the others he called on also said things to the...

Rahul Gandhi on Saturday offered to resign as the party president but the Congress Working Committee unanimously rejected it and requested him to continue his leadership, the party announced.The CWC held a meeting at the party’s headquarters in Delhi...

Rahul Gandhi on Saturday offered to resign as the party president but the Congress Working Committee unanimously rejected it and requested him to continue his leadership, the party announced.

The CWC held a meeting at the party’s headquarters in Delhi earlier in the day and passed a resolution to “humbly accept” the Lok Sabha election verdict. The party managed to win only 52 seats in the elections, compared to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which alone won 303 seats.

“The CWC unanimously called upon the Congress President, Shri Rahul Gandhi to lead the party in its ideological battle and to champion the cause of India’s youth, the farmers, the SC/ST/OBC’s, the Minorities, the poor and the deprived sections,” the CWC said in its resolution.

The working committee asked Gandhi for a complete overhaul and a detailed restructuring at every level of the party. “Congress party has lost the election but our indomitable courage, our fighting spirit and commitment to our ideology remains stronger than ever. We shall continue its fight against forces that thrive on hatred and division,” it said.

Senior party leaders addressed a press conference after the working committee’s meeting. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the working committee deliberated on different matters and called...

Indian shooters Apurvi Chandela, Anjum Moudgil and Elavenil Valarivan will be vying for top honours at this year’s third International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup Rifle/Pistol in Munich, Germany that will start on Sunday.The opening day of the...

Indian shooters Apurvi Chandela, Anjum Moudgil and Elavenil Valarivan will be vying for top honours at this year’s third International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup Rifle/Pistol in Munich, Germany that will start on Sunday.

The opening day of the competition will see women’s 10m air rifle final.

A total of 919 athletes from 98 countries, some in the non-competition Minimum Qualifying Score section, will be competing for the 17 Tokyo Olympics quota places available, besides a coveted ISSF World Cup medal.

India has entered a 35-member squad, 23 of them competing for medals in the 10 events lined up over the next five days.

India already has five quota places in Rifle and Pistol competitions.

As a result they would be forfeiting their right to quotas in the women’s air rifle and men’s 10m air pistol competitions, given they have already secured the maximum possible two quotas in these events.

India’s other quota is in the men’s 10m air rifle and thus the shooters would be eligible for only one quota.

Apurvi, Anjum, Saurabh Chaudhary, Abhishek Verma and Divyansh Singh Panwar have secured quotas for the country so far.

India can therefore pick up a maximum of 12 further quota places from Munich.

The Madhya Pradesh Police on Saturday arrested five people for beating up two men and a woman in Seoni district the previous day on the suspicion that they were carrying beef, PTI reported. In a video that was shared widely on social media, a group of...

The Madhya Pradesh Police on Saturday arrested five people for beating up two men and a woman in Seoni district the previous day on the suspicion that they were carrying beef, PTI reported.

In a video that was shared widely on social media, a group of men tie two men to a tree and beat them up. One of the victims was untied and pushed to the ground and thrashed with sticks. The attackers then forced him to hit the woman who was with them with a slipper and shout “Jai Shri Ram”.

One of the accused was identified as “Ram Sena” leader Shubham Baghel. “We came to know that Baghel had stopped one woman and two men on Friday and he along with his five friends had beaten up the men,” local police officer GS Uikey told ANI. “The video of the incident had gone viral. We have registered a case against all the accused and five of them have been arrested. They all will be sent to judicial remand soon.”

Senior police official Gopal Khandel told NDTV that samples of the meat have been sent to a laboratory in Hyderabad. “We have no information if the accused are linked to any political group,” the officer said. The...

The men’s compound team of Rajat Chauhan, Abhishek Verma and Aman Saini earned India a solitary bronze medal in the Archery World Cup Stage III in Antalya on Saturday.The trio put up a solid performance to edge out higher seeded Russian team of Anton...

The men’s compound team of Rajat Chauhan, Abhishek Verma and Aman Saini earned India a solitary bronze medal in the Archery World Cup Stage III in Antalya on Saturday.

The trio put up a solid performance to edge out higher seeded Russian team of Anton Bulaev, Alexander Dambaev and Pavel Krylov 235-230 in the bronze medal play-off.

Also in contention for a bronze medal was the women’s team, but the trio of Jyoti Surekha Vennam, Muskan Kirar and Swati Dudhwal lost to Great Britain’s Layla Annison, Ella Gibson and Lucy Mason by two points (226-228).

Indian archers have failed to make it count in the recurve section, finishing without a medal.

The third stage of the World Cup is the last meet before the World Championships in the Netherlands, which is an Olympic qualifying event.

On Friday, India’s mixed recurve team made a second round exit, while the individual archers also bowed out on a forgettable day for the country.

The Indian mixed pair of Deepika Kumari and Tarundeep Rai lost to their Turkish opponents Yasemin Anagoz and Mete Gazoz 4-5 in the shoot-off.

Earlier, Rai, Deepika, Bombayla Devi and Atul Verma also made exits in their respective individual section and are set to return empty-handed in their last outing before next month’s World...

Talking about adoption with children is not easy. No matter how well counselled foster or adoptive parents are, or how prepared to handle the tough questions, finding the right words and the right approach is hard when it comes to speaking to your...

Talking about adoption with children is not easy. No matter how well counselled foster or adoptive parents are, or how prepared to handle the tough questions, finding the right words and the right approach is hard when it comes to speaking to your adopted child.

In India, adoption is still a delicate issue with many parents preferring to side step the subject, dress up the truth as a fable or simply hold out as long as they can. However, counsellors and therapists urge parents to normalise the concept of adoption, to start talking to their children about how they came to be a part of the family and to not make it a secret.

Even then, a little help in the form of a relatable story or an anecdote can go a long way in bolstering the confidence of adoptive parents who struggle to ease their children to the facts. Former actor turned child rights activist and author Nandana Dev Sen’s latest book, In My Heart intends to address this concern, with illustrations by Ruchi Mhasane and text that are perfect for interactive reading.

It tells the story of Mia, a little girl who is curious about where babies come from and with a little help from...

Hosts China closed in on an 11th Sudirman Cup title as they ruthlessly dismantled Thailand to reach Sunday’s final of the mixed-team badminton world championship.China’s comfortable 3-0 victory sets them up for a tournament decider against top seeds...

Hosts China closed in on an 11th Sudirman Cup title as they ruthlessly dismantled Thailand to reach Sunday’s final of the mixed-team badminton world championship.

China’s comfortable 3-0 victory sets them up for a tournament decider against top seeds Japan or Indonesia, who play their semi-final later on Saturday.

China went 2-0 ahead in just 94 minutes thanks to their world number one mixed doubles pair Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong, and second-ranked Shi Yuqi in the men’s singles.

The tie was over when the men’s doubles world champions Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen triumphed.

Shi did not have it all his own way against 18th-ranked Kantaphon Wangcharoen, who squandered three opportunities to clinch the second game and force a decider.

It was a turning point and Shi held his nerve before closing out victory 21-15, 26-24 to thrill the home crowd and snuff out the brief Thai resistance.

“It was a very tough second game,” said Shi, beaten in last year’s world championship final by Kento Momota.

The top two in men’s badminton will meet once more on Sunday if, as expected, Japan beat Indonesia.

“The lead changed hands many times and neither of us could open up a big lead,” added Shi, who has inherited the mantle of China’s top men’s player with Lin...

Constitution of 17th Lok Sabha: ECI submits list of newly-elected MPsThe full Election Commission on Saturday called on President Ram Nath Kovind and handed over the list of 542 newly-elected members of the Lok Sabha that will enable him to initiate the...

Constitution of 17th Lok Sabha: ECI submits list of newly-elected MPsThe full Election Commission on Saturday called on President Ram Nath Kovind and handed over the list of 542 newly-elected members of the Lok Sabha that will enable him to initiate the formal process of new government formation.While the notification sets in motion the constitution of the 17th Lok Sabha, the list given to the President enables him to initiate government formation process. On Saturday evening, newly-elected MPs of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are likely elect Narendra Modi as its leader.Japan trade a problem for Trump, but not as bad as ChinaWhen President Donald Trump visits Japan, he’ll be able to point to Tokyo’s streets to drive home a sore point in trade relations between the allies: the absence of made-in-USA vehicles.The $70 billion Japanese trade surplus with the US is dwarfed by China’s $379 billion surplus, and the trade tensions between Washington and Tokyo are far less contentious than the tariffs war with Beijing.2 Indians among 3 dead as ‘traffic jam’ on Everest puts climbers at riskThree more climbers have died on Everest, expedition organisers and officials said Friday, taking the toll from a deadly week on the overcrowded peak of the world’s tallest mountain to...

The number of Muslim parliamentarians in the 17th Lok Sabha has increased by four, with 27 candidates from the community winning the elections on Thursday. The outgoing Lok Sabha had 23 Muslim MPs, many of whom were from the Congress and the Trinamool...

The number of Muslim parliamentarians in the 17th Lok Sabha has increased by four, with 27 candidates from the community winning the elections on Thursday. The outgoing Lok Sabha had 23 Muslim MPs, many of whom were from the Congress and the Trinamool Congress.

The highest number of Muslim MPs in the Lok Sabha was in 1980, when 49 legislators from the community were elected, according to PTI.

Like in 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party is the only winning party to not have a single Muslim MP. The party had fielded three Muslim candidates in Kashmir, two in West Bengal, and one in Lakshadweep. However, all six of them were defeated.

Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, which have a considerable Muslim population, are sending six legislators each from the community. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, no Muslim candidate had won from Uttar Pradesh.

Bahujan Samaj Party candidates Afzal Ansari from Ghazipur, Fazalur Rahman from Saharanpur and Danish Ali in Amroha, and Samajwadi Party’s Azam Khan from Rampur, Shafique Rehman Barq from Sambhal and ST Hasan from Moradabad made their way to the Lok Sabha. The Congress had fielded six Muslim candidates in Uttar Pradesh, but none of them won a seat.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday dissolved the 16th Lok Sabha with immediate effect on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet, a statement from his office said. “The President has accepted the advice of the Cabinet on 24.05.2019 and signed the...

President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday dissolved the 16th Lok Sabha with immediate effect on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet, a statement from his office said.

“The President has accepted the advice of the Cabinet on 24.05.2019 and signed the Order dissolving the 16th Lok Sabha in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by Sub-clause (b) of Clause (2) of Article 85 of the Constitution,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in the statement.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India submitted the list of 542 newly-elected members of the Lok Sabha to the president that will enable him to initiate the formal process of new government formation.

On Friday, at a special meeting, the Union Cabinet passed a resolution to dissolve the Lok Sabha. Soon after the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers tendered their resignations to Kovind. Accepting their resignations, the president requested Modi to be the caretaker prime minister till the new government assumes office.

“The sun sets on this term but the brightness our work has brought will continue to illuminate the lives of millions. A new dawn awaits, a new term beckons,” Modi tweeted after resigning. “We are even more determined to fulfil the dreams of 130 crore Indians and create...

Brazilian filmmaker Karim Ainouz’s period drama The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard sidebar section at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday. Set between 1951 and 1958, the film traces the lives of two sisters,...

Brazilian filmmaker Karim Ainouz’s period drama The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard sidebar section at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday. Set between 1951 and 1958, the film traces the lives of two sisters, Euridice (Carol Duarte) and Guida (Julia Stockler), who battle prejudice and oppression in Brazil.

“I’m very proud to represent Brazil,” Ainouz said at the awards ceremony, The Hollywood Reporter reported. “We are going through something in Brazil now that is very very hard that has to do with intolerance.” The awards were presented by jury president and Lebanese director-actress Nadine Labaki, whose Capernaum competed for a Palme d’Or at Cannes last year and was nominated for a foreign-language Oscar this year.

Of the 18 titles in contention in the Un Certain Regard section, Bruno Dumont’s Joan of Arc won the special mention honour, Olivier Laxe’s Fire Will Come got the Jury prize, and Albert Serra’s Liberte bagged the special jury prize.

Russian filmmaker Kantemir Balagov’s historical drama Beanpole won the Best Director prize. Inspired by Svetlana Alexievich’s book The Unwomanly Face of War, the film follows the friendship between two women after the siege of Leningrad following World War II in 1945. Chiara Mastroianni...

India are among the favourites to clinch the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup but there is still concerns over who will grab the much-debated no 4 slot in the team.Options have been limited for the position at two down with KL Rahul and all-rounder Vijay...

India are among the favourites to clinch the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup but there is still concerns over who will grab the much-debated no 4 slot in the team.

Options have been limited for the position at two down with KL Rahul and all-rounder Vijay Shankar as likely contenders.

Chief selector MSK Prasad had earlier backed Shankar for the role, picking him ahead of Ambati Rayudu in the final World Cup squad. While Rahul made the cut as a reserve opener, his brilliant outing during the recently-concluded Indian Premier League has made him a viable option.

Asked to pick between the two, Sanjay Manjrekar said he would persist with Vijay Shankar and see how the Tamil Nadu player adapts to the role first.

“I want to see Vijay Shankar to begin with and see how he handles it. Because Rahul is more suited to No. 1 and 2. Very rarely he has batted at No 4, and when he did that, he did not look to me like a No 4. Rahul is a No 1 or 2 player who can be a replacement at the top,” he was quoted...

India’s perch on top as the world’s fastest growing major economy is unlikely to be challenged soon.Even as the Chinese economy cools due to global trade tensions, India’s GDP growth will hover near 7.5% by 2020, compared with 7.25% in 2019, says a...

India’s perch on top as the world’s fastest growing major economy is unlikely to be challenged soon.

Even as the Chinese economy cools due to global trade tensions, India’s GDP growth will hover near 7.5% by 2020, compared with 7.25% in 2019, says a recent report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The Paris-headquartered think tank expects China’s economy to clock 6% growth in 2020. As a result of the escalating US-China trade war, the economic output in both countries is estimated to be 0.2%-0.3% lower in the current financial year than it would otherwise have been.

Hence, the Indian economy’s lead over China, in terms of growth, is widening.

This comes as good news for the Indian economy that grew at a six-quarter low of 6.6% in the October-December 2018 period.

This will be aided by higher domestic demand, fiscal and quasi-fiscal stimulus, including new income support measures for rural farmers, and recent structural reforms. At the same time, a fall in oil prices and the appreciation of the rupee will reduce pressures on inflation and the current account deficit.

A look at the headlines right now: Rahul and Sonia Gandhi arrive for Congress Working Committee meeting in Delhi: The Congress has firmly rejected speculation that its President Rahul Gandhi had offered to resign. Two more state Congress leaders resigned...

A look at the headlines right now:

Rahul and Sonia Gandhi arrive for Congress Working Committee meeting in Delhi: The Congress has firmly rejected speculation that its President Rahul Gandhi had offered to resign. Two more state Congress leaders resigned over the dismal election results.Union Cabinet passes resolution to dissolve the 16th Lok Sabha, Narendra Modi resigns as PM: The NDA Parliamentary party will meet on Saturday, and is likely to formally endorse Modi as the prime minister.At least 19 die after fire breaks out at a coaching centre in Surat: As many as 19 fire engines and two hydraulic platforms were rushed to the spot to douse the fire.No talks with Pakistan till it stops supporting terrorism, says Indian envoy to United States: Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India can no longer deal with Islamabad’s ‘double-handed policy’ of supporting terrorism and talking about peace. Meghalaya HC sets aside single judge order that said India should have become a Hindu Rashtra: The court said the December 2018 verdict was inconsistent with Constitutional principles.CBI files chargesheet against five accused in Pollachi sexual abuse case: The agency claimed that they were part of an organised criminal gang and that they were communicating with each other.Sri Lanka police arrest 5 men linked to group believed to be responsible for Easter Sunday attacks: Investigators had blamed the National Thowheed Jamath for the Easter...

Congress Working Committee member and United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi arrived for a meeting of the party’s committee on Saturday morning, a day after the 2019 General Election results were made final. The core committee is meeting...

Congress Working Committee member and United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi arrived for a meeting of the party’s committee on Saturday morning, a day after the 2019 General Election results were made final. The core committee is meeting at the party’s headquarters amid speculation that Congress President Rahul Gandhi will offer to resign after their dismal performance in the elections.

Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi also arrived for the meeting soon after. The Congress Working Committee is the party’s highest decision making body. The meeting of the committee was called to discuss what had led to the party’s poor performance in the elections.

The Congress had firmly rejected speculation that Gandhi had offered to resign from the party’s leadership. The party had said these reports were “mischievous and incorrect”, Hindustan Times reported.

National Conference Chief Farooq Abdullah on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot remove Article 35A and Article 370 that grant special status to Jammu and Kashmir, PTI reported.“Let him be as powerful as he [Modi] likes, he cannot remove...

“Let him be as powerful as he [Modi] likes, he cannot remove Article 370 and Article 35A [from the state of Jammu and Kashmir],” Abdullah said. He said instead of dividing the country, the prime minister should make efforts to unite the people.

“Our right of Article 370 and Article 35-A should be protected,” the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said. “ This is very important for us. We are soldiers of this country not enemies of this nation.”

Abdullah’s party National Conference won all three seats in the Kashmir valley while the Bharatiya Janata Party retained three seats of Jammu, Udhampur and Ladakh after the election results were announced on Thursday.

The controversy over the special constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir became important in this election, more so after the BJP, in its election manifesto, announced they would scrap Articles 370 and 35A.

“Let them do it [repeal Article 370] we will see. I will see who is ready to hoist their flag here,” Abdullah had said after release of the BJP manifesto. “You think by removing Article 35A,...

SAMS Odisha has released the admit card for the SCERT Odisha 2019 entrance exam for admissions to various teacher training courses offered in the state of Odisha today, May 25th, 2019.This is the second time the admit cards have been issued. The first...

SAMS Odisha has released the admit card for the SCERT Odisha 2019 entrance exam for admissions to various teacher training courses offered in the state of Odisha today, May 25th, 2019.

This is the second time the admit cards have been issued. The first time it was issued on May 13th for exams that were supposed to begin on May 18th. However, the exams were postponed and this new round of admit card is for the new schedule.

Candidates who are going to appear for the exam can download the admit card from the official website, scert.samsodisha.gov.in,

SCERT Odisha 2019 revised exam schedule was released a few days ago. The exam is scheduled to be conducted from June 3rd to June 12th. The detailed schedule can be accessed in this link or they are detailed in the below table.

Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) has declared the KCET 2019 result today, May 25th, a while ago. The result was expected to be released at 1.00 pm, but the link has already been activated. The result can be accessed by the students at...

Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) has declared the KCET 2019 result today, May 25th, a while ago. The result was expected to be released at 1.00 pm, but the link has already been activated. The result can be accessed by the students at karresults.nic.in and kea.kar.nic.in.

A total number of 1.4 lakh candidates have attained the eligibility and have cleared the KCET 2019 exams, according to Indianexpress.com. In Engineering group, Jeffin Biju from Bangalore topped the group followed by R. Chinmay and Sai Saketika Chekuri. In BSc Agriculture, Keerthana M Arun topped the group, P Mahesh Anand tops Veterinary Science group.

KEA conducts KCET examination is conducted for admissions into professional courses offered by various institutions in the state of Karnataka like Engineering, Agriculture, and Pharmacy. KCET examination is conducted on Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biolog and answer keys were released on May 2nd, 2019.

KEA had conducted the Karnataka CET 2019 examination on April 29th and April 30th, 2019. Around 2 lakh students have appeared for the KCET 2019 examination for various subjects this year.

How to access KCET 2019 result:Visit the Karnataka results website.Click on the KCET 2019 link to download the resultEnter the registration number and click on ‘Submit’.The result will...

The Surat Police in Gujarat said on Saturday that one person was arrested and a first information report was registered against three people in connection with the fire that broke out at a coaching centre in the city on Friday, ANI reported.Surat Police...

The Surat Police in Gujarat said on Saturday that one person was arrested and a first information report was registered against three people in connection with the fire that broke out at a coaching centre in the city on Friday, ANI reported.

Surat Police Commissioner Satish Sharma said a man who used to conduct classes at the coaching centre was arrested on Saturday morning, according to Hindustan Times. Police said two builders are also named in the FIR.

Sharma said 20 people died in the incident and at least 20 others were injured. “All type of tuition classes have been stopped for now, classes can only be conducted after the required fire safety checks are done and a fire safety certificate has been obtained,” Sharma said, according to ANI.

Most of the victims were teenagers who were attending classes at the coaching centre, according to PTI. Some of them died after inhaling smoke, while many of them reportedly died after jumping out of windows to escape the fire. A video clip of the incident showed students jumping off the third and fourth floors amid plumes of thick smoke.

The fire reportedly engulfed the second floor of the Takshashila Complex in Sarthana. The building housed at least four coaching centres,...

Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) will be declaring the KCET 2019 examination result today, May 25th, 1.00 pm, according to multiple sources. Around 2 lakh students have appeared for the KCET 2019 examination for various subjects this year. The...

Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) will be declaring the KCET 2019 examination result today, May 25th, 1.00 pm, according to multiple sources. Around 2 lakh students have appeared for the KCET 2019 examination for various subjects this year. The result can be accessed at kea.kar.nic.in. The result is also expected to available at karresults.nic.in.

UPDATE: The result has been declared. Check your result in this direct link..

KEA had conducted the Karnataka CET 2019 examination on April 29th and April 30th, 2019. Karnataka CET examination is conducted for admissions into professional courses offered by various institutions in the state of Karnataka. KCET examination is conducted on Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biolog and answer keys were released on May 2nd, 2019.

Howto access KCET 2019 result:Visit the Karnataka Exam Authority official website.Click on CET-2019 link on the right panel.A new page will open which will have links for answer keys for various subjects.Click on the relevant link to download the result and enter the relevant details.The result will be displayed which can be printed out.

With numerous advertisements, teaser images and gif clips being shared on social media platforms, Oppo India is gearing up for the launch of its Reno series here in India. The premium smartphone series will be launched on May 28th and the event is...

With numerous advertisements, teaser images and gif clips being shared on social media platforms, Oppo India is gearing up for the launch of its Reno series here in India. The premium smartphone series will be launched on May 28th and the event is scheduled to kick-off at 1 pm onwards. While the phone is already available in the company’s home market China, Reno series will be making its India debut very soon.

In China, the Reno series offers two handset: Oppo Reno and the Reno 10X Zoom Edition. While it wouldn’t be a surprise if the India variants don’t boast of identical features as the overseas model. Majority of the elements from both devices are expected to be carried forward with few minor changes here and there to suit the local demands.

Oppo phones are categorically known for its powerful camera features and Reno seems to be carrying forward that legacy. Oppo Reno 10X edition will come with a “powerful 10x Hybrid Zoom, 48MP Camera, and the blazing fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 855”, Oppo India...

Ross Taylor has been rejected, written off and wracked by injury but the veteran New Zealand batsman is in the form of his life and focused on capping a late career surge by finally lifting the World Cup.While Taylor has made no formal retirement...

Ross Taylor has been rejected, written off and wracked by injury but the veteran New Zealand batsman is in the form of his life and focused on capping a late career surge by finally lifting the World Cup.

While Taylor has made no formal retirement announcement, he openly acknowledges that, at 35, his fourth World Cup in England and Wales will probably be his last.

“England is a great tour to go on. The bus trips, playing at those traditional grounds - I couldn’t think of a better place to be if it is your last World Cup,” he said.

Despite his age, Taylor remains pivotal to the Black Caps’ hopes of going one better than their appearance in the 2015 tournament final and claiming a first title.

He is New Zealand’s most prolific run-scorer in one-day internationals, with 8,026 in 203 innings, giving him the highest ODI average of any Black Cap at 48.34.

The right-handed Taylor, who also has more ODI hundreds (20) than any other Kiwi, has hit new heights late in his 13-year career.

Taylor’s batting figures at the start of his international career were respectable but his run-scoring over the past few years has been eye-catching. He averaged over 60 in ODIs in 2017 and more than...

In Zee5’s latest Tamil series Thiravam, Ravi Prakasam claims to have invented a herbal alternative to petrol, a discovery that makes him the target of the fossil fuel lobby. Ravi is played by 36-year-old Tamil actor Prasanna, who is almost...

In Zee5’s latest Tamil series Thiravam, Ravi Prakasam claims to have invented a herbal alternative to petrol, a discovery that makes him the target of the fossil fuel lobby. Ravi is played by 36-year-old Tamil actor Prasanna, who is almost unrecognisable as a middle-aged scientist with grey hair and a pot belly.

Released on May 21, Thiravam has been directed by cinematographer Arvind Krishna and is loosely based on Ramar Pillai, the scientist from Tamil Nadu whose claims of having invented a herbal fuel in 1996 were exposed as a hoax.

Prasanna made his acting debut in Susi Ganeshan’s friendship drama Five Star (2002). In Azhagiye Theeye (2004), Prasanna played Chandran, a struggling filmmaker who shares an apartment with three friends. In Achchamundu! Achchamundu! (2009), he is a father whose suburban American life is disrupted when a paedophile enters his house. In Kalyana Samayal Saadham (2013), he plays a groom-to-be with erectile dysfunction (the film was remade in Hindi in 2017 as Shubh Mangal Saavdhan).

Prasanna’s performances won him critical acclaim, but box-office success has been mixed. He took a break from acting in 2014, and returned three years later with Nibunan (2017), Thupparivaalan (2017) and Thiruttu Payale 2 (2017). “I love what I am getting and where I am today,” Prasanna said over the phone from Chennai. Excerpts from an interview.

At least 13 people were injured after a blast in a pedestrian street in the French city of Lyon on Saturday. Police in France were searching for a suspect following the blast, AFP reported.A police source told AFP that a package containing “screws or...

At least 13 people were injured after a blast in a pedestrian street in the French city of Lyon on Saturday. Police in France were searching for a suspect following the blast, AFP reported.

A police source told AFP that a package containing “screws or bolts” had been placed in front of a bakery near a busy corner of two popular streets on Friday evening. The explosion occurred at on a narrow strip of land between the Saone and Rhone rivers.

The area was then evacuated and cordoned off by police.

Those injured included a girl aged ten. None of the injuries are life-threatening.

France’s National Police tweeted a grainy photo of the suspect they believed is “the perpetrator of the attack” and asked the public to call with any information.

The man was caught on security cameras in the area immediately before the explosion. In the photo he is wearing a light-coloured shorts and a long-sleeved dark top and is on a bicycle.

Shakib Al Hasan will need to fire with bat and ball if Bangladesh are to achieve their ambition of reaching the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in their history.The side’s 32-year-old talisman is top of the one-day international all-rounder...

Shakib Al Hasan will need to fire with bat and ball if Bangladesh are to achieve their ambition of reaching the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in their history.

The side’s 32-year-old talisman is top of the one-day international all-rounder rankings, with more than 5,700 runs and 249 wickets to his name.

Shakib, an attacking middle-order batsman and canny left-arm spinner, is arguably one of the only players in world cricket who would justify his place in the team as either a specialist bowler or batsman after the retirement of South Africa’s Jacques Kallis.

Preparing to play his 199th ODI, he is just one wicket away from joining a select group of all-rounders, including Kallis and Shahid Afridi of Pakistan, who have completed the double of 5,000 runs and 250 wickets in ODI cricket.

The former skipper has been central to Bangladesh’s successes in recent years, injecting a belief into the former whipping boys of world cricket, who are currently seventh in the ODI rankings.

And he always gives Bangladesh the advantage of playing an extra bowler or batsman.

But he has also had his run-ins with the Bangladesh Cricket Board down the years, and in April missed the official World Cup squad picture after leaving the Shere Bangla stadium...

Novak Djokovic believes that his 2016 achievement of holding all four Grand Slam titles at the same time is the perfect playbook for a repeat performance at Roland Garros as he tries to become just the second man to complete the feat.The world number one...

Novak Djokovic believes that his 2016 achievement of holding all four Grand Slam titles at the same time is the perfect playbook for a repeat performance at Roland Garros as he tries to become just the second man to complete the feat.

The world number one heads into the French Open with Wimbledon, the US Open and Australian Open titles already under his belt.

Victory in the June 9 final in Paris would allow him to join Rod Laver as the only other man to hold all the four majors at the same time twice.

“There is an extra motivation and incentive to win Roland Garros because of the opportunity to hold all four Slams, something I did three years ago,” said the 32-year-old on Friday.

“That gives me obviously enough reason to believe I can do it again.”

Old rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal may have more career majors – 20 and 17 respectively to Djokovic’s 15 – but neither of them have managed even one private sweep, let alone two.

However, Djokovic’s potential date with destiny would have appeared to be fantasy 12 months ago.

In Paris in 2018, Djokovic, still recovering from elbow surgery, crashed to a shock quarter-final loss to world number 72 Marco Cecchinato from Italy.

Have you heard of Thavasi keerai, a type of sweet spinach that is packed with vitamins and helps reduce blood pressure? Or Chukka keerai, with its broad leaves, which has an extremely bitter taste, but works wonders for your digestive health?When it...

Have you heard of Thavasi keerai, a type of sweet spinach that is packed with vitamins and helps reduce blood pressure? Or Chukka keerai, with its broad leaves, which has an extremely bitter taste, but works wonders for your digestive health?

When it comes to greens, most people in urban India cannot think beyond the ubiquitous palak (spinach), methi (fenugreek), coriander and curry leaves. Or recent trendy imports like kale. But beyond these exist a whole range of indigenous greens that are just as wholesome and, often, just as versatile.

These forgotten greens are the focus of Keerai Kadai, an e-commerce portal and physical store in Coimbatore started by engineer-turned-agriculturist G Sriram Prasad. Keerai Kadai – which means greens shop – sells more than 100 types of greens and herbs, several of which have almost disappeared from public memory.

In its stocks can be found Manathakkali or Black Nightshade, Kasini or chicory leaves, Bhringraj or False Daisy, Ponnanganni or Sessile Joyweed, Pirandai or Adamant creeper, Red Amaranthus, and Chakravarthy keerai or Chenopodium album.

When Prasad opened Keerai Kadai in 2017, the idea was just to sell greens, but consumer feedback propelled him to focus on forgotten indigenous varieties. Several of his older customers would reminisce about the native...

The final results for 542 Lok Sabha constituencies have been declared. The Bharatiya Janata Party with 303 elected members has retained its position as the single largest party in the house. We take a quick look at the profile of the newly elected 17th...

The final results for 542 Lok Sabha constituencies have been declared. The Bharatiya Janata Party with 303 elected members has retained its position as the single largest party in the house.

We take a quick look at the profile of the newly elected 17th Lok Sabha. Here are some key highlights.

BJP has the highest representation397 MPs were elected from national parties. Of these 303 MPs were from BJP, 52 from Congress, and 22 from TMC. Among the state parties, DMK (23) and YSRCP (22) won the most seats.300 first-term MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha300 MPs will be in Lok Sabha for their first-term. From the outgoing Lok Sabha, 197 MPs were re-elected. Further, 45 have been members of earlier Lok Sabhas.This distribution is not very different from the last general election.Fewer MPs over 70 years, more MPs under 40 yearsThe average age of an MP is 54 years.The 17th Lok Sabha has 12% of MPs below the age 40 years. This is more than that of the 16th Lok Sabha which had 8% of MPs below the age of 40 years.This bucks the longer term trend of Lok Sabha getting older. The proportion of MPs below 40 years of age has steadily declined from 26% in the first...

11:22 am: Indianexpress also reports, “Ashim Sarkar has obtained first position in Commerce stream with 474 marks. Syan Mazumdar and Bitupan Arandhara jointly topped from Science stream with 478 marks. Khushboo Firdous has secured the first position in...

11:22 am: Indianexpress also reports, “Ashim Sarkar has obtained first position in Commerce stream with 474 marks. Syan Mazumdar and Bitupan Arandhara jointly topped from Science stream with 478 marks. Khushboo Firdous has secured the first position in Arts stream with 478 marks.”

11:20 am: For Science stream, Indianexpress.com reports that the pass percentage is 86.59%

10:40 am: The Arts students have secured a pass percentage of 75.14%, Commerce 87.79%, according to Indianexpress.com.

9:01 am: Here is the direct link to check the result at indiaresults.com.

9:00 am: There result link has been activated. Here is the direct link from examresults.net for students to check the result.

8:57 am: The AHSEC 12th result should be available at any moment at the official website and partner websites.

8:43 am: In 2018, the students had scored a pass percentage of 47.49% which is reported to be the lowest pass percentage in 15 years.

8:32 am: The Assam HS result can also be accessed via an Android app called Upolobdha. The app can be downloaded from this link.

8:28 am: The AHSEC official website has also confirmed that the 12th result will be coming out at 9.00 am today. The result can be directly checked at hsinfo.in but the website is taking time to load, probably due to heavy traffic.

8:23 am: The board officials confirmed on May 24th to Indianexpress.com that the result will be...

Bihar Central Selection Board of Constable has issued admit card for the preliminary exam for the 2019 recruitment of Forest Guards in Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department today on May 25th, 2019. The admit card is for the first phase of the...

Bihar Central Selection Board of Constable has issued admit card for the preliminary exam for the 2019 recruitment of Forest Guards in Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department today on May 25th, 2019. The admit card is for the first phase of the exam that is preliminary written examination to be conducted on June 16th, 2019 at 10.00 am to 12.00 noon.

In fact the admit card link was activated a day earlier with a message stating “Welcome to CSBC admit card download page. The hall ticket release time was mentioned as ‘to start from 10 am today’ and rightly so the admit cards have been released. Applicants can use their registration number and date of birth to download the admit now. The admit card can be downloaded from CSBC’s official website - csbc.bih.nic.in.

How to download CSBC Forest Guard 2019 admit cardVisit the CSBC’s official website home page.Click on ‘Env, Forest and Climate Change’ tab.Click on this direct link to download the admit card for the written exam for the Forest Guard.Enter the registration number and date of birth and submit.The admit card can be accessed which can be downloaded and printed out.

The candidates will have to undergo three stages of the recruitment process. The first stage will be a written...

Lionel Messi wants Ernesto Valverde to continue as Barcelona coach but admits the team have not recovered from their Champions League loss to Liverpool as they face Valencia in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday. After winning La Liga by 11 points, Barca...

Lionel Messi wants Ernesto Valverde to continue as Barcelona coach but admits the team have not recovered from their Champions League loss to Liverpool as they face Valencia in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday.

After winning La Liga by 11 points, Barca can complete a domestic double by beating Valencia in Seville, but even that will not erase the disappointment of throwing away a three-goal lead at Anfield.

Valverde conceded his future was uncertain after the loss but the club’s president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, has since said the coach will remain in charge.

“I honestly believe the boss has done an impressive job during his time in charge,” Messi said at a press conference on Friday.

“I think that in the defeat to Liverpool, he is practically blameless, we are the only ones to blame for that match.

“That can happen one year. but two years in a row is unforgivable. The boss will obviously be partly to blame but it is the players even more.

“I would like him to continue. Last year, we did the double and even though it was stained by getting knocked out of the Champions League, this year we can win the double again.

England captain Eoin Morgan suffered a “small fracture” to his left index finger on Friday, but is expected to be fit in time for the hosts’ World Cup opener against South Africa next week.Morgan was practicing with his teammates at the Ageas Bowl...

England captain Eoin Morgan suffered a “small fracture” to his left index finger on Friday, but is expected to be fit in time for the hosts’ World Cup opener against South Africa next week.

Morgan was practicing with his teammates at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton ahead of Saturday’s unofficial World Cup warm-up against Australia when he took a blow during catching drills.

It was a major scare for England just six days before the World Cup favourites start their bid to win the competition for the first time, but there was relatively good news for Morgan after an X-ray showed the damage wasn’t as bad as feared.

“England captain Eoin Morgan has sustained a small flake fracture to his left index finger,” an ECB statement said.

“He will not take part in the match [against Australia], but is expected to make a full recovery and be available for England’s opening ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match against South Africa at The Oval on Thursday May 30.”

Morgan, 32, was one of 14 players preparing at Hampshire’s ground, with Joe Root absent on personal business. He has played 222 one-day internationals and averages 39.64 after hitting 12 centuries and 45 half-centuries.

Mathangi Subramanian’s A People’s History of Heaven is set in a fictional slum in Bengaluru. Swarga, or Heaven as everyone calls it, is a make-shift, precarious, and resilient place bordering far more affluent neighbourhoods. It is a place that could...

Mathangi Subramanian’s A People’s History of Heaven is set in a fictional slum in Bengaluru. Swarga, or Heaven as everyone calls it, is a make-shift, precarious, and resilient place bordering far more affluent neighbourhoods. It is a place that could realistically exist in any large Indian city, its residents coming from various geographies, castes and religions.

A close-knit group

At the heart of the narrative is a group of girls who have grown up alongside one another, and who form a fiercely loyal pack in Heaven, protecting each other, sharing food and companionship.

Joy is the ringleader, self-assured, determined, academically bright, and a recent convert to Christianity. Banu is the quiet one, who builds useful contraptions using waste material gathered from construction sites and garbage dumps, and lives with her grandmother. Rukshana is the argumentative one who is least comfortable with the feminine, the one whose mother is a union member and a health worker. Deepa is blind, and dances “like she’s got her feet on the string between sadnesses.” Padma is the nurturer who does her best to shield both her friends and her family.

The girls support their mothers who traverse lives that are far from the ones they’ve know. Occasionally, they lend the comforts of their...

Senior Congress leader and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said on Friday that the party’s minimum income guarantee scheme promise and the entry of Priyanka Gandhi in politics should have been timed earlier to reach out to more people ahead of...

In an interview to the daily, Nath credited the Bharatiya Janata Party’s election machinery for the party’s success in the Lok Sabha elections. “The message of Modi and the agenda of the BJP were delivered all across well in time by his people,” he said. “But our message did not reach the people effectively. RSS workers were moving around the state six months before the elections.”

When asked why the minimum income scheme Nyuntam Aay Yojana or NYAY and farm loan waivers in his state did not resonate with the voters, Nath said the schemes should have started earlier. “All this came in too late,” he said. “And the problem was that people mixed up the ‘NYAY’ campaign with justice while the campaign actually meant to go beyond that.” Under the NYAY scheme, the Congress had promised that the poorest 20% families of the country will get an income support of...

KL Rahul knows exactly what it would mean to win this year’s World Cup in England, having seen for himself what a 2011 triumph on home soil meant to his fellow Indians.Eight years ago, Rahul was a teenager watching television in a Bangalore bar as...

KL Rahul knows exactly what it would mean to win this year’s World Cup in England, having seen for himself what a 2011 triumph on home soil meant to his fellow Indians.

Eight years ago, Rahul was a teenager watching television in a Bangalore bar as Gautam Gambhir’s 97 and then-captain MS Dhoni’s 91 not out saw India beat Sri Lanka in the World Cup final in Mumbai.

“When the game was over it was absolute chaos. The roads were blocked, everybody left their homes and was on the road celebrating,” Rahul said on Friday as he recalled the aftermath of India’s second World Cup triumph.

“It was an unbelievable experience to see so many people forgetting about their worries. Whatever they had going on in their lives, they were just so, so happy India had won the World Cup.

“It was even bigger because we won it at home in India – it brought billions of people together and brought so much joy.”

The “conversation” (of which we only hear one side), may well have been orchestrated only for the cameras. At one point in the 21-second video, Netanyahu says, “Thank you for your congratulations on my victory.”

The Israel prime minister even attempts cracking jokes during the conversation and tells Modi that, unlike the Indian prime minister, he needs a coalition. The two also make plans to hang out as soon as their governments are in place.

Team India’s mental conditioning coach at the 2011 World Cup, Paddy Upton has had a remarkable journey since that famous triumph. The South African has been head coach in 12 professional T20 cricket seasons over the past seven years. He has been...

Team India’s mental conditioning coach at the 2011 World Cup, Paddy Upton has had a remarkable journey since that famous triumph. The South African has been head coach in 12 professional T20 cricket seasons over the past seven years. He has been associated with five teams across the Indian Premier League, the Big Bash League and the Pakistan Super League.

Upton’s most recent stint as coach – with the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2019 – may not have been successful, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he is one of the most respected figures in world cricket.

In Jaipur for the Red Bull Campus Cricket tournament, the 50-year-old – who is known for scaling the balance between ‘science and art’ in his coaching – spoke with journalists on an array of topics leading up to the 2019 World Cup.

Here are excerpts from the chat:

What is your fondest memory of the 2011 World Cup?

I think the fondest memory of all is planning in great detail how we were going to reach the final on April 2, 2011. We planned from ten months out. And the fondest memory is that we planned every single detail, every little box that we needed to tick off. There was real purpose and meaning to each day...

Two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya will run in the 2,000 metres in a meeting held in the Paris suburbs on June 11, the organisers said on Friday.The race in Montreuil, just east of the French capital, will be the South African’s first since she...

Two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya will run in the 2,000 metres in a meeting held in the Paris suburbs on June 11, the organisers said on Friday.

The race in Montreuil, just east of the French capital, will be the South African’s first since she lost an appeal against International Association of Athletics Federations rules governing testosterone levels in women athletes, which came into effect on May 8.

Semenya has also entered the 3,000m at the Prefontaine Classic, which this year is being held in Stanford, California, on June 30.

At longer distances Semenya, who won her Olympic golds at 800m, can compete without reducing her testosterone levels.

The new rules require women with higher than normal male hormone levels – so-called “hyperandrogenic” athletes – to artificially lower the amount of testosterone in their bodies if they are to compete in races over distances of 400m to the mile.

Semenya won the 800m at the Doha Diamond League meeting this month in her first race since losing her appeal of the controversial IAAF ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Semanya has said she will not take medication but has also said she hopes to defend her 800m at the world championships in Doha, which start on September 27.

World number five Alexander Zverev warmed up for the French Open by reaching only his second final of the season at the ATP event in Geneva with victory over Federico Delbonis on Friday.The 22-year-old German came through a close match 7-5, 6-7 (6/8),...

World number five Alexander Zverev warmed up for the French Open by reaching only his second final of the season at the ATP event in Geneva with victory over Federico Delbonis on Friday.

The 22-year-old German came through a close match 7-5, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 in two hours and 40 minutes to set up a Saturday final against Chile’s Nicolas Jarry.

Zverev, who has never got past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament, will open his Roland Garros campaign against Australian John Millman next week.

He let a 5-1 lead slip in the opening set in Switzerland, but fought back to take it in the 12th game.

Argentinian world number 84 Delbonis again pulled back a break of serve in the second set to win a tie-break and level the semi-final, but Zverev broke twice in the decider and sealed victory on his first match point.

In 2014, the Congress was wiped out in Rajasthan, barely managed a solitary seat in Chhattisgarh and two seats in Madhya Pradesh. But defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party in the three Hindi heartland states in late last year’s Assembly elections gave...

In 2014, the Congress was wiped out in Rajasthan, barely managed a solitary seat in Chhattisgarh and two seats in Madhya Pradesh. But defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party in the three Hindi heartland states in late last year’s Assembly elections gave the party hope going into the general election. At the least, the Congress leadership expected to get around half of the 65 Lok Sabha seats in the three states. They were way off the mark.

The grand old party did no better than in 2014, taking two seats in Chhattisgarh and one in Madhya Pradesh, while drawing another blank in Rajasthan.

To rub salt into the party’s wounds, some of its prominent leaders were defeated with crushing margins. In Madhya Pradesh, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Digvijaya Singh, Ajay Singh, Vivek Tankha, Kantilal Bhuria and Arun Yadav all lost. Nakul Nath, son of Chief Minister Kamal Nath, managed to win his father’s old seat of Chhindwara, but by a small margin.

In Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav lost as did Manvendra Singh, son of former BJP grandee Jaswant Singh.

So, what went wrong?

Senior Congress leaders from these states blame overconfidence, unfulfilled promises and the “Narendra Modi factor” for the rout. They would only speak anonymously for fear of angering the...

India begin their preparation for a third ICC World Cup title with a warm-up game against New Zealand in London on Saturday. Since arriving in England, Virat Kohli and Co had their first practice session on Thursday, where the entire team participated in...

India begin their preparation for a third ICC World Cup title with a warm-up game against New Zealand in London on Saturday.

Since arriving in England, Virat Kohli and Co had their first practice session on Thursday, where the entire team participated in the nets. However, the match against the Kiwis will give India a real feel of the conditions.

Dubbed the most challenging World Cup ever owing to a format that is a throwback to the 1992 edition, Kohli’s team still arrived in the United Kingdom confident of adding to its two titles in the cricket’s showpiece event. India won the tournament in 1983 and 2011.

The outing at the Kennigton Oval will go beyond experimenting with their highly skilled bowling attack, and quite a bit of focus will be on KL Rahul and Vijay Shankar, contenders for the number four slot.

In a largely settled lineup, the batting combination has been a cause for concern for the Indian think-tank. Rahul found form in the Indian Premier League to stake his claim while Shankar has been woefully out of touch. Reports of an injury in the nets does not help the case of the Tamil Nadu all-rounder who was earmarked for the role when the squad was...

Two more Congress leaders have sent their resignation letters to the party leadership for the disastrous performance in the Lok Sabha polls.Congress leader HK Patil resigned as the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Campaign Committee on Friday...

Two more Congress leaders have sent their resignation letters to the party leadership for the disastrous performance in the Lok Sabha polls.

Congress leader HK Patil resigned as the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Campaign Committee on Friday taking responsibility for the party’s poor performance in the state, PTI reported.

“As President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Campaign Committee I had the privilege to take the policies and message of my esteemed Party to the people,” he said in a letter to Congress President Rahul Gandhi. “In view of the debacle, I feel it my moral duty to own-up the responsibility. Hence, with all humility I submit my resignation to the post.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party scored a resounding victory in Karnataka by winning 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats. The Congress and its ally Janata Dal (Secular) managed to win just one seat each. An independent candidate, Sumalatha Ambareesh, who had the backing of the BJP also won a seat.

Congress leader Yogendra Misra resigned as the president of the district Congress committee in Amethi, ANI reported. Gandhi was defeated in Amethi, a Congress stronghold, by Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani by a margin of 55,120 votes.

“I’ve taken the moral responsibility for the defeat,” Misra told PTI. “Somewhere there must...

8:55 am: Girls have performed better than boys once again. The pass percentage among girls is 79.27%, whereas for boys it is 67.94%.8:54 am: The pass percentage is better than 2018 when students from both the streams had secured an overall pass...

8:55 am: Girls have performed better than boys once again. The pass percentage among girls is 79.27%, whereas for boys it is 67.94%.

8:54 am: The pass percentage is better than 2018 when students from both the streams had secured an overall pass percentage of 68.96%.

8:52 am: The HSC General Booklet is available now and can be accessed in this link.. The pass percentage is 73.27%.

8:04 am: The students should be able to check their HSC Commerce and Arts stream result now at this direct link.

7:54 am: The result should be available in a few minutes at gseb.org. Students are advised to keep their hall tickets ready.

7:34 am: The students can check the result from 8.00 am. The home page already has a space to check the result and hopefully the result will be displayed from 8.00 am after feeding in the required information.

7:15 am: The result can be checked at the GSEB home page itself in less than an hour’s time. Students are advised to keep their hall tickets ready for relevant information to feed in to access their result.

7:04 am: The HSC result booklet link for general (Commerce and Arts) has been activated and can be accessed in this link. Currently, it says the booklet will be available at 8.00 am.

Young prodigy Prithvi Shaw’s 76 helped North Mumbai Panthers defeat ARCS Andheri by 2 wickets in the first semi-final of the T20 Mumbai league at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.They will now face the winner of Sobo Supersonics versus Aakash Tigers...

Young prodigy Prithvi Shaw’s 76 helped North Mumbai Panthers defeat ARCS Andheri by 2 wickets in the first semi-final of the T20 Mumbai league at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.

They will now face the winner of Sobo Supersonics versus Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburb in the final to be played on Sunday.

Chasing 167, skipper Shaw was the cynosure of eyes at the Wankhede stadium, as he hammered 6 fours and 3 sixes in his 48 ball-knock.

He found an able partner in Swapnil Salvi (62 off 38 balls; 2x4, 5x6) as the duo conjured a 114-run stand for the fourth wicket and brought their side close to the target.

Shaw, was in his usual self, and raced to his fifty in 39 balls and made optimum use of the ‘lives’ which he got, thanks to the sloppy fielding by the Andheri team.

However, left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla brought the Andheri team back into contention after removing Shaw and Sairaj Patil (0) in the 18th over, with Panthers still needing another 13 runs from 15 balls.

Pacer Tushar Deshpande conceded just two runs in the 19th over and also took a wicket of Shashikant Kadam (2).

Panthers needed 9 runs from the final over and pacer Ankur Singh sent back a well settled...

Two Indians and an Austrian died on Mount Everest on Thursday, BBC reported on Friday. As many as seven people have so far died on the world’s tallest mountain over the last week. The deaths were caused due to a situation akin to a “traffic jam”...

Two Indians and an Austrian died on Mount Everest on Thursday, BBC reported on Friday. As many as seven people have so far died on the world’s tallest mountain over the last week.

The deaths were caused due to a situation akin to a “traffic jam” near the summit of the Mount Everest, the news network said. On Wednesday, an American and an Indian had died due to congestion near the summit.

The Indians who died on Thursday were identified as Kalpana Das, 52, and Nihal Bagwan, 27. They died while scaling back down the mountain.

“He [Bagwan] was stuck in the traffic for more than 12 hours and was exhausted,” Keshav Paudel of Peak Promotion, an expedition agency, told AFP. “Sherpa guides carried him down to Camp IV but he breathed his last there.”

An Austrian climber died on the northern Tibet side of the mountain on Thursday, his expedition organiser said.

Anjali Kulkarni, 55, who died on the mountain on Wednesday was stuck in the “traffic jam” above Camp IV, her son Shantanu Kulkarni told CNN. American mountaineer Donald Lynn Cash also died Wednesday after fainting from high altitude sickness while descending the mountain, Nepalese expedition company Pioneer Adventure Ltd told the news network.

Those who see timber in trees (and electricity in rivers) should read a book, just out, that can only be described as beautiful. Harini Nagendra and Seema Mundoli have given us a riveting work – Cities and Canopies: Trees in Indian Cities. Illustrated...

Those who see timber in trees (and electricity in rivers) should read a book, just out, that can only be described as beautiful. Harini Nagendra and Seema Mundoli have given us a riveting work – Cities and Canopies: Trees in Indian Cities. Illustrated with sensitivity and matching fidelity by Alisha Dutt Islam, its pages take us through the world of the jamun, the banyan, the tamarind, the neem, the amaltas and other trees that they describe as “nature’s own museums”. I have not come across anything like it, connecting our past, present and future with trees.

The book could have easily become a dull primer in botany. It has become a fascinating biography of cities’ life in trees, or that of trees in cities. Reading it brought me what India’s greatest “tree man” Pradip Krishen describes as “superb tales and factoids about India’s city trees”. It also generated in me thoughts about trees that included the following:

The future Buddha was born, it is said, to Queen Mahamaya of Kapilavastu under a sal tree (Shorea robusta) in Lumbini. He received “the light”, under a pipal tree (Ficus religiosa) at Gaya and proceeded from there to give his immortal teaching. As the Buddha sensed his time was near, he asked...

Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday mocked the Congress for eyeing the prime minister’s post when it could not manage to win the number of seats required in the Lok Sabha for the Leader of Opposition post, PTI reported.“I have been...

Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday mocked the Congress for eyeing the prime minister’s post when it could not manage to win the number of seats required in the Lok Sabha for the Leader of Opposition post, PTI reported.

“I have been telling it for past three years that there is no vacancy for the post of the prime minister in 2019 and hence they [opponents] should vie for Leader of Opposition chair,” Paswan was quoted as saying. “But Congress has not even got seats to be able to get the leader of Opposition post again.”

A party must have 10% of the total seats of the lower house to occupy the Leader of Opposition chair. Elections were held for 542 seats, which means a party must secure 55 seats to get the post. The 16th Lok Sabha also did not have a Leader of Opposition as no party had secured 10% of the total seats. The Congress was the single largest Opposition party with 44 seats after the 2014 General Elections.

When asked if his son Chirag Paswan would be made a minister in the new government, Ram Vilas Paswan said Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah had offered his son a...

Hashmatullah Shahidi’s unbeaten 74 paved the way for Afghanistan to clinch a surprise three-wicket win over Pakistan in Friday’s World Cup warm-up match in Bristol.After being routed by England in their recent one-day international series, this was...

Hashmatullah Shahidi’s unbeaten 74 paved the way for Afghanistan to clinch a surprise three-wicket win over Pakistan in Friday’s World Cup warm-up match in Bristol.

After being routed by England in their recent one-day international series, this was another blow for Pakistan just six days before the World Cup begins.

Pakistan were bowled out for 262 after captain Sarfaraz Ahmed decided to bat first.

Mohammad Nabi took 3-46 to keep Pakistan from establishing control despite a powerful innings of 112 from 108 balls from Babar Azam.

Only Shoaib Malik’s 44 offered any other threat for Pakistan, who struggled to keep Afghanistan in check during the run chase.

They came up against dynamic effort from Hazratullah Zazai, who scorched Pakistan with a 28-ball 49 in the first Powerplay.

From that point on, the asking rate was always in control, with Hashmatullah’s 102-ball innings aided by Nabi’s quickfire 34 helping Afghanistan seal the win with two balls left.

Faf leads by example

South Africa captain Faf Du Plessis led by example with a confident 88 as his side cruised to an 87-run win over Sri Lanka in their World Cup warm-up on Friday.

Du Plessis was supported by Hashim Amla in a second-wicket partnership of 128 that swung the game in South Africa’s favour.

Roger Federer on Friday played down his chances of winning the French Open on his first appearance at Roland Garros since 2015, saying that title-winning form might not be “in his racquet”.The 20-time Grand Slam champion missed the French Open in...

Roger Federer on Friday played down his chances of winning the French Open on his first appearance at Roland Garros since 2015, saying that title-winning form might not be “in his racquet”.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion missed the French Open in 2016 through injury before sitting out the next two clay-court seasons in order to focus on Wimbledon.

But he will make his Roland Garros return on Sunday with a first-round tie against unheralded Italian Lorenzo Sonego.

Federer admitted that he is unsure of his title chances, but did compare his current situation with when he ended a five-year Grand Slam drought at the Australian Open in 2017.

“(I) don’t know (if I can win the tournament). A bit of a question mark for me. Some ways I feel similar to maybe the Australian Open in ‘17,” the 2009 French Open winner said.

“A bit of the unknown. I feel like I’m playing good tennis, but is it enough against the absolute top guys when it really comes to the crunch? I’m not sure if it’s in my racquet.

“But I hope I can get myself in that position deep down in the tournament against the top guys. But first I need to get there and I know that’s a challenge...

The Hour of Lynching, by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madhesiya, follows a single case to illuminate a larger tragedy that has affected mostly Muslims and Dalits in recent months. In July 2018, Rakbar Khan, from Kolgaon village in the Nuh-Mewat region in...

The Hour of Lynching, by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madhesiya, follows a single case to illuminate a larger tragedy that has affected mostly Muslims and Dalits in recent months. In July 2018, Rakbar Khan, from Kolgaon village in the Nuh-Mewat region in Haryana bordering Rajasthan, was killed as he transported two cows. The filmmakers capture the immediate aftermath of Khan’s death and the impact on his family and members of his Meo Muslim community. “We are being hunted like dogs and cats,” one man observes.

While local cow vigilantes claim they played no role in his death, they openly brag about protecting the bovine population at all costs. “We will sacrifice Muslims for Hindus,” a leader declares at a meeting.

The directors have previously made Cinema Travellers, about the fading tradition of mobile theatres in rural India, and Searching for Saraswati, about a government-backed project to find the mythical Saraswati river. The Hour of Lynching is an independently made film that has been backed by the non-profit news organisation Pulitzer Center and supported by Field of Vision, which was set up by, among others, award-winning Citizenfour director Laura Poitras.

Instances of vigilantes beating up and killing farmers as an extreme...

There was a time, Indian armed forces personnel followed one cardinal principle: that they would not discuss politics or women. That seems to have changed now. Politics now appears to be the most favoured topic of discussion among armed forces personnel...

There was a time, Indian armed forces personnel followed one cardinal principle: that they would not discuss politics or women. That seems to have changed now. Politics now appears to be the most favoured topic of discussion among armed forces personnel – serving and retired.

While this is a problem that India needs to address, the shift in the armed forces’ ethos from secularism to the majoritarianism that has afflicted the rest of India is more worrying.

A few years ago, I was invited to speak at an event organised by an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological mentor of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The organisation claimed to work for the welfare of the border population.

Many senior retired military officers as well as a few young serving Army officers were part of the audience. I was surprised to see the serving officers were in uniform. The others present included personnel from the police, banks and other civil departments.

In my speech, I enthusiastically recommended ways to improve the lives of residents living in border areas. A couple of meetings later, I realised that the organisation was focussed on profiling the border population on communal lines. Many speakers also raised questions about the patriotism of...

The India mixed recurve team made a second round exit, while the individual archers also bowed out on a forgettable day for the country in the World Cup Stage III in Antalaya on Friday. The Indian mixed pair of Deepika Kumari and Tarundeep Rai lost to...

The India mixed recurve team made a second round exit, while the individual archers also bowed out on a forgettable day for the country in the World Cup Stage III in Antalaya on Friday.

The Indian mixed pair of Deepika Kumari and Tarundeep Rai lost to their Turkish opponents Yasemin Anagoz and Mete Gazoz 4-5 in the shoot-off.

Earlier, Rai, Deepika, Bombayla Devi and Atul Verma also made exits in their respective individual section and are set to return empty-handed in their last outing before next month’s World Championships.

Indian compound mixed pair of Rajat Chauhan and Jyothi Surekha Vennam also made second round exit going down to Russia’s Viktoria Balzhanova and Anton Bulaev 156-158.

India’s only medal hope now lie from the compound team events where both men’s and women’s will fight for bronze medals.

When the Telangana Rashtra Samithi won a landslide victory in the Telangana elections in December and secured a second consecutive term, many predicted that the party would sweep the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state as well.But Thursday results...

When the Telangana Rashtra Samithi won a landslide victory in the Telangana elections in December and secured a second consecutive term, many predicted that the party would sweep the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state as well.

But Thursday results would have come as a shock to Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who was hoping for a big role at the Centre after the parliamentary elections and was even banking on the possibility of leading a Third Front.

Not only did Rao’s party lose two seats from the 11 it had won in the 2014 parliamentary elections, the chief minister’s daughter Kavitha Kalvakuntla lost the Nizamabad seat by a margin of over 70,000 votes to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s D Aravind.

Telangana has 17 Lok Sabha seats.

When votes were counted on Thursday, the BJP secured four seats and the Congress three. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi won nine, with its ally All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen taking one seat.

Apart from the problem of complacency that is being attributed to the ruling party’s poor performance in Telangana, local factors seem to have struck the Telangana Rashtra Samithi’s prospects, especially in the North Telangana region that is viewed as fertile ground for religious polarisation given the large minority population...

The few musical examples that we have included in our current series on Marathi natya geet/pada or theatre songs influenced by, adapted from, or sharing a resemblance with Hindustani compositions, are proof of the close connection between Marathi natya...

The few musical examples that we have included in our current series on Marathi natya geet/pada or theatre songs influenced by, adapted from, or sharing a resemblance with Hindustani compositions, are proof of the close connection between Marathi natya sangeet or theatre music and Hindustani music. This was possible only because of the rapport that was established between Marathi natak mandalis or theatre companies and practitioners of Hindustani music.

This association was once again demonstrated when Hindustani vocalist and music educationist Vishnu Digambar Paluskar presided over the seventh natyasammelan held at the Elphinstone Theatre in Bombay (now Mumbai) on May 22 and 23, 1911, under the auspices of Kolhapurkar Sangeet Natak Mandali. But the occasion also led to a souring of relations between Paluskar and theatre lovers, as Paluskar openly criticised some natya padas.

The Kirloskar Mandali countered his critique by establishing the Bharat Gayan Samaj in the same year at Poona (now Pune) to compete with the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, the music school established by Paluskar. The Samaj conducted regular music classes with vocalist Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale heading the faculty.

Not only Paluskar, but later, others too criticised natya padas for a variety of reasons. For instance, some objected to their overbearing presence hampering the play’s narrative...

Around 4 pm on May 23, security forces closed in on Batpora village in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, closing all entry points. They then narrowed their search to three houses on the edge of the village. The village is part of Dadsara area in Tral...

Around 4 pm on May 23, security forces closed in on Batpora village in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, closing all entry points. They then narrowed their search to three houses on the edge of the village. The village is part of Dadsara area in Tral sub-district, home to large number of local militants. The forces were looking for the most famous militant currently active in Kashmir, Zakir Rashid Bhat, also known as Zakir Musa.

Nearly two and a half hours after the search operation started, the first shots rang out, triggering a gunfight. As dawn broke on May 24, Musa lay dead outside the house where he was holed up, after a gunfight that had lasted hours.

“According to the police records, Zakir had a long history of terror crime records since 2013. He was initially associated with proscribed terror outfit HM [Hizbul Mujahideen] then he floated new terror outfit Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind,” a statement issued by Jammu and Kashmir police on Friday, said.

‘The second most popular militant’

Over the last couple of years, Musa’s name has been sprayed on walls and shutters across the Kashmir Valley. Young men chant “Musa, Musa” during protests and India-Pakistan cricket matches. His face and voice are familiar from...

The 2019 Lok Sabha election has been a decisive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies, who won a total of 352 parliamentary seats out of 542. Across party lines, however, the Lok Sabha will seat 300 new members this year – first-time...

The 2019 Lok Sabha election has been a decisive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies, who won a total of 352 parliamentary seats out of 542. Across party lines, however, the Lok Sabha will seat 300 new members this year – first-time Members of Parliament who will shape the country’s laws and policies over the next five years.

Some of these first-time MPs – like the BJP president Amit Shah – are already powerful figures in Indian politics. Others have been controversial right from the time they were nominated, like BJP’s Bhopal winner Pragya Thakur, a Hindutva hardliner and an accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blasts case.

Some newly-elected MPs, like Delhi winners Gautam Gambhir and Hans Raj Hans, were celebrities before they joined politics. Many others, however, have emerged from humble backgrounds and have won unexpected victories in the 2019 election.

As they prepare to be sworn in as new members of the 17th Lok Sabha, here are some important first-time MPs to watch out for:

Amit ShahGandhinagar, Gujarat

Amit Shah may be a first-time MP in the Lok Sabha, but as the BJP president and the chairperson of the National Democratic Alliance, he has already been one of the most powerful men in national politics for...

An unprecedented number of women have come forward to share stories of workplace sexual harassment since the #MeToo movement gained momentum in late 2017. Yet their allegations are not always well received. Questions like “What took her so long?” and...

Yet their allegations are not always well received. Questions like “What took her so long?” and “Why didn’t she report it when it happened?” have become a refrain. They imply that women who initially chose not to report sexual harassment handled it incorrectly – even incompetently.

In a national survey experiment, I asked Americans to read the fictitious employee file of a woman named Sarah, described as a satisfactory employee who was enthusiastic about her work. Everyone read the same information about her work performance.

However, study participants saw different information about mistreatment Sarah had experienced. In one condition, Sarah reported to HR that a coworker had repeatedly made sexual comments about her body; in a second condition, she reported that a coworker had repeatedly shouted and sworn at her. In a third condition, no harassment was reported....

The government on Friday banned extremist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and its Indian sister organisations for allegedly promoting acts of terrorism. The Ministry of Home Affairs said in a notification that the group had been banned under the...

The government on Friday banned extremist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and its Indian sister organisations for allegedly promoting acts of terrorism. The Ministry of Home Affairs said in a notification that the group had been banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The ministry said that the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, which came into existence in 1998, and its formations like Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen India or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Hindustan have “committed acts of terrorism, promoted acts of terrorism and have been engaged in radicalisation and recruitment of youth(s) for terrorist activities in India”. The Centre said the formations will henceforth be referred to as Jamaat-ul Mujahideen.

The ministry said the group also raised funds for procurement of explosives and assembling Improvised Explosive Devices.

The Centre said investigating agencies in India have found the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh responsible for the 2014 bomb blast in Burdwan, West Bengal, and the 2018 blast in Bodh Gaya town in Bihar. It said the Assam Police have arrested 56 members of the group accused of terrorism.

The Centre said investigations have revealed that the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh wants to establish permanent bases in India’s border states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura, and spread its network in southern states with the aim of establishing a caliphate in the Indian subcontinent.

Top-seed P Gayatri Gopichand of Telangana moved into the last eight of the girls under-19 event in the All-India Junior Ranking Badminton Tournament in Chennai on Friday with a hard fought win over Khushi Gupta of Delhi. In the pre-quarterfinals, the...

Top-seed P Gayatri Gopichand of Telangana moved into the last eight of the girls under-19 event in the All-India Junior Ranking Badminton Tournament in Chennai on Friday with a hard fought win over Khushi Gupta of Delhi.

In the pre-quarterfinals, the 16-year-old daughter of Indian coach Pullela Gopichand, faced a stiff challenge from the Delhi shuttler, before posting a 22-20, 21-16 win. She had earlier eased past Prerana Alvekar of Maharasthra 21-11, 21-13.

Tamil Nadu’s Akshaya Arumugam made short work of Riya Kunjir (Maharashtra) 21-12, 21-11 to make it to the last eight.

The host players had a mixed day with as three moved into the last 32 in the boys singles, while Tamil Nadu’s best bet Sankar Muthusamy (No.12 seed) bowed out, losing to Tejas Kallolkar of Karnataka 19-21 21-10 18-21.

The Committee of Administrators will be meeting the officials of the six North-East states in New Delhi on May 27 to resolve a few issues, helping them to be fully Lodha-reforms compliant before conducting elections of the state units. With CoA...

The Committee of Administrators will be meeting the officials of the six North-East states in New Delhi on May 27 to resolve a few issues, helping them to be fully Lodha-reforms compliant before conducting elections of the state units.

With CoA announcing the BCCI elections for October 22 and aiming to finish the state body polls by September 30, the six North-East states need clarity. They go into their maiden elections after acquiring full member status.

“There are a few issues that NE states’ representatives needs clarity. The major issue is when would be their cooling off period start. They were not full voting members before 2018. So they have a valid claim that their tenure should start with this year’s state association elections and cooling off starts after three years,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Another teething issue is release of funds so that they can carry on with their infrastructure development and conduct of local matches.

“They need funds but as the amicus has pointed out that after scrutiny, if they are found compliant, release of funds shall not be a problem,” the official said.

im freaking dying 😂💀 pic.twitter.com/B7vikGkHrZ— viridiana 💛 (@viridianna_g) May 18, 2019 It is only natural that a student would want to jump in joy after successfully finishing college and receiving their degree. But a Texas college...

It is only natural that a student would want to jump in joy after successfully finishing college and receiving their degree. But a Texas college student’s attempt at an exultant back-flip did not go according to plan.

A video going viral on Twitter shows a student of the El Paso Community College walking up to collect his diploma and choosing that moment to do the flip – only to fall flat on the ground and not very gently either.

The crowd is heard gasping at the unfortunate yet unintentionally funny moment, but it’s not clear whether the graduate hurt himself.

Thapa was also adjudged the best boxer of the tournament. Italy’s Francessa Amato emerged as the best in the women’s category.

There was delight for local girls Jamuna Boro (54kg) and Bagyabati Kachari (75kg), who won their respective bouts in thrilling fashion. However, Italians Assunta Canfora (69kg) and Amato (64kg) silenced the Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Stadium after defeating Lovlina Borgohain and Ankushita Boro respectively.

The classy Deepak (49kg) also finished at the top of the podium.

As for Sarita Devi, it was an emotional win as this was her first gold medal since her mother died in December last year. In fact, it was her first gold in three years.

The first big bout of the day saw Panghal take on rising star Sachin Siwach. With a significant height difference between the two, Panghal chose to play away from his opponent. But that is a strategy the Asian champion adopts with almost all of his bouts. “Yes, I try to assess the opponents in the first round before going on the attack,” Panghal said,

The Sri Lankan police on Friday said that they had arrested five suspects, who are allegedly linked to banned extremist group National Thowheed Jamaath and its leader Zahran Hashim, in Horowpathana, Daily Mirror reported. Sri Lankan investigators had...

The Sri Lankan police on Friday said that they had arrested five suspects, who are allegedly linked to banned extremist group National Thowheed Jamaath and its leader Zahran Hashim, in Horowpathana, Daily Mirror reported. Sri Lankan investigators had blamed the National Thowheed Jamath for the Easter Sunday, which had claimed 253 lives.

The Islamic State group, however, had claimed responsibility for the terror attacks.

The five arrested accused, the police said, include a development officer attached to the Horowpathana Divisional Secretariat, a district government school teacher, two teachers from a school in Kiwulekada and a resident of Kebithigollewa. The investigators claimed that the suspects had delivered sermons that had extremist content in Anuradhapura and Trincomalee.

The National Thowheed Jamaath had allegedly sent money to the suspects via one of the main accused in the Easter Sunday attacks, who is out of the country, the police said.

Meanwhile, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said that the chairperson of the Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to monitor the investigation into the attacks is free to make its proceedings open to media, the local daily said.

The Easter Sunday bombings

On April 21, nine suicide bombers carried out a series of blasts at three churches and several luxury hotels. On April 26, Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena had said that Zahran Hashim,...

Few visitors to Kolkata’s Wellington Square know what the flame-shaped monument there stands for. It is a homage to those killed during the 1959 Food Movement, a mass protest against food scarcity organised by the Communist Party of India that gripped...

Few visitors to Kolkata’s Wellington Square know what the flame-shaped monument there stands for. It is a homage to those killed during the 1959 Food Movement, a mass protest against food scarcity organised by the Communist Party of India that gripped the city for five days, with the people and the police fighting pitched battles in the streets. The protest first announced to the world that the communists were a major force in West Bengal.

That was then. In 2019, the communists were wiped out from Bengal. The Left Front failed to win a single seat since the first general election in 1952 and wound up with just about 7.5% of the vote. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), the pivot of the coalition, accounted for a little over 6% of that.

BJP gained votes from the Left, not Trinamool

To rub salt into the Left Front’s wounds, their voters not only deserted them, they moved en masse to the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. While the BJP’s Hindutva pitch and communal polarisation on the ground played their part, it would not have won an incredible 18 of the state’s 42 Lok Sabha seats without this unusual red to saffron shift.

Because of their delicate organic and decomposing nature, fossilised fungi are extremely rare. So rare, in fact, that a new discovery has just pushed back the earliest evidence of fungi by at least 500m years – doubling their age.Until now, the oldest...

Because of their delicate organic and decomposing nature, fossilised fungi are extremely rare. So rare, in fact, that a new discovery has just pushed back the earliest evidence of fungi by at least 500m years – doubling their age.

Until now, the oldest confirmed fungal fossils dated to around 450m years ago – about the same time that plants migrated from sea to land. One of the most famous fossilised fungi from this period is the Prototaxites, which could grow up to eight metres tall – leading to its misidentification for many years as a tree.

But previous examination of the fungal “molecular clock”, using DNA-based methods, suggested that fungi may have evolved much earlier, between 760m and 1.06 billion years ago. Extracted from Arctic Canadian shales, the newly discovered billion-year-old fossilised fungal spores and hyphae (long thin tubes) plug the gap in the fossil record and suggest that fungi may have occupied land well before plants.

The fungal fossils were found in rocks that were probably once part a shallow-water estuary. Such environments are typically great for fungithanks to nutrient-rich waters and the build up of washed-up organic matter to feed on. The high salinity, high mineral and low oxygen content of these ancient coastal habitats also provided great conditions to perfectly preserve the tough chitin molecules embedded...

The lowest margin recorded in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was in the contest between a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate and a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate in Uttar Pradesh’s Machhlishahr seat.The votes were counted on Thursday, and the BJP won 303...

The lowest margin recorded in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was in the contest between a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate and a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate in Uttar Pradesh’s Machhlishahr seat.

The votes were counted on Thursday, and the BJP won 303 seats of the country’s 542 that went to the polls. The BJP finished with a vote share of more than 50% in as many as 11 states and two Union territories. The party had its highest vote share, 69.1%, in Himachal Pradesh. BJP alone had a vote share of 62.2% in Gujarat, 58.5% in Rajasthan, 58% in Madhya Pradesh, 51% in Jharkhand and 50.7% in Chhattisgarh.

As per Election Commission data, BJP candidate Bholanath won the Machhlishahr seat by a margin of 181 votes, defeating BSP’s Tribhuvan Ram. In 2014, BJP candidate Ram Charitra Nishad had won the seat with a margin of more than 1.72 lakh votes.

The Meghalaya High Court on Monday set aside the verdict of a single judge that India should have been declared a Hindu country during Partition, Bar and Bench reported. A bench of Chief Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and Justice HS Thangkhiew ruled that...

The Meghalaya High Court on Monday set aside the verdict of a single judge that India should have been declared a Hindu country during Partition, Bar and Bench reported. A bench of Chief Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and Justice HS Thangkhiew ruled that the verdict passed by Justice SR Sen in December 2018 is “legally flawed and inconsistent with Constitutional principles”.

“After bestowing our thoughtful consideration to the entire gamut of the matter we have reached to a firm conclusion that the judgment impugned dated 10.12.2018 is legally flawed and is in-consistent with the constitutional principles, the observations made and directions passed therein are totally superfluous, therefore, is set aside in its entirety, as such shall be non est [will not exist],” the bench said.

Sen had made the remarks while disposing off a petition filed by a person who was denied a domicile certificate by the state government. He had also urged the Centre to bring in a legislation to allow citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, Christians, Khasis, Jaintias and Garos who come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan without any documents.

Pointing out that Pakistan declared itself an Islamic country soon after Partition, the judge said India should have made itself a Hindu country since the countries were...

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday filed a chargesheet against five accused in the Pollachi serial sexual assault and blackmail case, PTI reported. The investigating agency has booked all five for sexual assault and rape.The agency’s...

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday filed a chargesheet against five accused in the Pollachi serial sexual assault and blackmail case, PTI reported. The investigating agency has booked all five for sexual assault and rape.

The agency’s spokesperson said a charge sheet has been filed against Sabarirajan alias Riswanth, K Thirunavukkarasau, M Sathish, T Vasanth Kumar and T Vasanth Kumar in a special court in Coimbatore. The agency claimed that they were part of an organised criminal gang. They are currently in judicial custody in the Coimbatore jail.

The case relates to allegations that a gang of men have been befriending hundreds of women on social media and then sexually molesting them since 2013. In some cases, the men shot explicit videos of the women and used those to blackmail their victims, the police said.

The allegations of the sexual harassment and blackmail racket came to light on February 25, when a 19-year-old college student in Pollachi filed a complaint against them for sexually harassing her. On February 24, the brother of the college student who filed the case got into a scuffle with the four men. When the police intervened, the victim’s brother explained that the accused had embarrassing pictures and videos of his sister.

A look at the headlines right now:Union Cabinet passes resolution to dissolve the 16th Lok Sabha, Narendra Modi resigns as PM: The NDA Parliamentary party will meet on Saturday, and is likely to formally endorse Modi as the prime minister.At least 18 die...

A look at the headlines right now:

Union Cabinet passes resolution to dissolve the 16th Lok Sabha, Narendra Modi resigns as PM: The NDA Parliamentary party will meet on Saturday, and is likely to formally endorse Modi as the prime minister.At least 18 die after fire breaks out at a coaching centre in Surat: Several people were injured or killed when they tried to jump out of the building while trying to save themselves.British PM Theresa May to step down on June 7, indicates she has lost her party’s support: However, the European Union said May’s resignation does nothing to change its position on the Brexit deal.Supreme Court at full strength as four new judges take oath: The Supreme Court will have a judge belonging to the Scheduled Caste category after about a decade. Kashmir’s top militant Zakir Musa killed in encounter in Tral, say police: Authorities have imposed curfew in some parts of the Valley after protests broke out in Shopian, Pulwama, Awantipora and Srinagar. No talks with Pakistan till it stops supporting terrorism, says Indian envoy to United States: Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India can no longer deal with Islamabad’s ‘double-handed policy’ of supporting terrorism and talking about peace. AIADMK government survives by winning nine seats in bye-elections, DMK wins 13: The ruling party’s tally in the Assembly is now 123, while the Opposition DMK...

Chhattisgarh Vyapam website has released the admit card for the PAT/PVPT 2019 examination on May 23rd, 2019. Apart from the admit card, the Professional Examination Board has also released the answer keys for the PET/PPHT 2019 examination. Candidates can...

Chhattisgarh Vyapam website has released the admit card for the PAT/PVPT 2019 examination on May 23rd, 2019. Apart from the admit card, the Professional Examination Board has also released the answer keys for the PET/PPHT 2019 examination. Candidates can download the answer keys and the admit card from the official website, cgvyapam.choice.gov.in.

The PEB is scheduled to conduct the entrance exam for admissions to BSc in Agriculture/Horticulture and Diploma in Animal Husbandry today or PAT/PVPT 2019 examination on May 30th from 10.00 am to 1.15 pm. The notification for the entrance examination was released on March 29th, 2019.

Candidates can download the PAT/PVPT 2019 admit card from this direct link. Once the page opens, candidates can feed in the registration ID and code and submit the information. The admit card will be displayed which can be printed out. The notification for the admit card be accessed in this link.

The examination for the PET/PPHT 2019 was conducted on May 16th and now the answer keys have been released. PET exam is conducted for admissions to Engineering (BE), Agriculture Technology, and Dairy Technology courses and PPHT for Bachelor and Diploma in Pharmacy imparted in the colleges of the state.

The candidates can access answer keys for PET in this direct link and for...

Ashok Kumar remembered his achhe din (golden days) clearly. As a Class-10 dropout, he had a secure job that paid him Rs 15,000 per month to haul plywood between factories in a town called India’s plywood capital. He and his wife saved Rs 4,000, and he...

Ashok Kumar remembered his achhe din (golden days) clearly. As a Class-10 dropout, he had a secure job that paid him Rs 15,000 per month to haul plywood between factories in a town called India’s plywood capital. He and his wife saved Rs 4,000, and he had few complaints.

That was before November 2016, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation, withdrawing 86%, by value, of India’s currency. “I received November’s salary in January and it was only downhill from there,” said Kumar, as he waited – dressed in an old sweater and worn slippers – in the northern Haryana town of Yamunagar, at Fawara Chowk, an open-air labour market, for an itinerant job.

Then came the Goods and Services Tax – criticised for its shoddy implementation – in July 2017, and his factory cut about 110 of 200 jobs, including Kumar’s. With no cash in circulation and a 28% GST on the manufacturing and sale of plywood, thousands who sought work here – from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and other northern states – bore the consequences.

Real Madrid have reacted angrily to Mauricio Pochettino suggesting they turned down a request from Tottenham to stay at their training ground next week ahead of the Champions League final against Liverpool. Spurs will train at Valdebebas on Thursday and...

Real Madrid have reacted angrily to Mauricio Pochettino suggesting they turned down a request from Tottenham to stay at their training ground next week ahead of the Champions League final against Liverpool.

Spurs will train at Valdebebas on Thursday and Friday before the game on Saturday and Pochettino, in an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena Cope, said the club had asked Madrid if they could also sleep on the site.

In a light-hearted part of the interview, Pochettino was asked if Tottenham’s players would also stay at Valdedebas. Pochettino replied: “No we will stay in an hotel near there. We have asked eh? We have asked but Florentino (Perez) didn’t want to allow us.”

A laughing Pochettino then added: “He would say, ‘the day you coach Madrid is when you can sleep there’. This is the subliminal message no?”

Real Madrid released a statement on Friday, insisting they had received no such request from Tottenham.

The statement read: “Real Madrid is surprised by the suggestions made by Tottenham Hotspur coach Mauricio Pochettino about a supposed request made to our club asking that his team could stay at the Ciudad de Real Madrid before the final of the Champions League.

India’s Shubhankar Sharma made a brilliant fightback on his second nine in difficult conditions to make the cut along side compatriot SSP Chawrasia at the Made in Denmark golf tournament presented by FREJA on Friday. He holed five birdies in his last...

India’s Shubhankar Sharma made a brilliant fightback on his second nine in difficult conditions to make the cut along side compatriot SSP Chawrasia at the Made in Denmark golf tournament presented by FREJA on Friday. He holed five birdies in his last six holes to ensure weekend action.

Shubhankar, who shot one-over 72 in the first round at the Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort, added 70 to it to get to even par 142 for two rounds and make the cut which is set at one-over.

Chawrasia, who had 70 in his first round, shot even par 71 in the second round that included two birdies and two bogeys in cold and windy conditions. At one-under, he was placed tied 34th, while Shubhankar was tied 48th.

Gaganjeet Bhullar, who carded 70 on first day, was yet to start his second round. Many players were still on the course and some are yet to begin.

Meanwhile, Matthias Schwab mastered the early difficult conditions to card a brilliant bogey free 66 and set the clubhouse target. He shot three-under 68 in the first round and is now eight-under for 36 holes.

Playing in conditions that were brutal with cold, rain and wind, Shubhankar seemed out of the tournament at five-over with six...

In a recent episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden, the host drove around Las Vegas with his guest – the celebrated singer Celine Dion. During their conversation, the two jammed to various songs made more dramatic than their original versions...

In a recent episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden, the host drove around Las Vegas with his guest – the celebrated singer Celine Dion.

During their conversation, the two jammed to various songs made more dramatic than their original versions by Dion. Corden introduced Dion to the wildly popular song Baby Shark, and she even put her own twist to it.

Corden also made Dion give out a few of her shoes, from her ten-thousand-pairs-strong collection, to passers-by.

The episode ended dramatically with the two of them recreating the famous moment from the 1997 movie Titanic, singing Dion’s My Heart Will Go On. The Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas swayed in the background while the two sang their hearts out, with Dion throwing her necklace into the water as a symbolic gesture.

Rafael Nadal said on Friday that he “doesn’t care” if he is the red-hot favourite to lift a record-extending 12th French Open title at Roland Garros, insisting that there are a host of players in contention for the trophy.The world number two holds...

Rafael Nadal said on Friday that he “doesn’t care” if he is the red-hot favourite to lift a record-extending 12th French Open title at Roland Garros, insisting that there are a host of players in contention for the trophy.

The world number two holds an incredible French Open win-loss record of 86-2, and hit top form by winning his ninth Italian Open last week with a final victory over old rival Novak Djokovic.

Nadal could move to within two titles of Roger Federer’s all-time men’s record of 20 Grand Slam trophies if he lifts the Coupe des Mousquetaires on June 9.

“I don’t care if I’m the favourite,” he said. “I care about feeling well and playing well. I appreciate that you (the media) see me like that, but (Dominic) Thiem, Novak (Djokovic), Federer, Tsitsipas who has been playing well, (Juan Martin) del Potro, (Kei) Nishikori – all those that are the best in the world will be favourites.

“The only thing that worries me is being well and being competitive. The only favourite that matters is the one who has the cup at home in two weeks’ time.”

Before his triumph in Rome, it had been far from a trademark clay-court season for Nadal. The Spaniard failed in his...

Firebrand Nick Kyrgios pulled out of Roland Garros on Friday, just days after saying the French Open “sucks”.Organisers confirmed the Australian’s withdrawal from the second Grand Slam tournament of the season and he will be replaced by a lucky...

Firebrand Nick Kyrgios pulled out of Roland Garros on Friday, just days after saying the French Open “sucks”.

Organisers confirmed the Australian’s withdrawal from the second Grand Slam tournament of the season and he will be replaced by a lucky loser from qualifying.

The 24-year-old was due to have faced Britain’s Cameron Norrie in the first round.

Last week, Kyrgios was disqualified from the Italian Open in Rome and headed straight to London to practice with Andy Murray at Wimbledon.

“I think this is the best tournament in the world, look at this perfect green surface,” Kyrgios wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of him sitting on the grass courts.

“Get rid of the clay, man. Who likes the clay, it is so bad. The French Open sucks compared to this place. Sucks. Absolute sucks.”

Kyrgios also withdrew from the French Open last year and has never reached the second week in Paris.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who lost to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pragya Singh Thakur from the Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency, said on Friday that “the ideology of the killer of Mahatma Gandhi had won”. Thakur defeated Singh by a...

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who lost to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pragya Singh Thakur from the Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency, said on Friday that “the ideology of the killer of Mahatma Gandhi had won”. Thakur defeated Singh by a margin of 3,64,822 votes.

“Today in this country, the ideology of the killer of Mahatma Gandhi won and the ideology of Gandhi lost,” Singh told reporters according to ANI. “This is a cause of concern for me.”

Thakur had courted controversy during the poll campaign for calling Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, a patriot. “Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt [patriot], he is and will remain a deshbhakt,” she said. “Those calling him a terrorist should instead look within. They will be given a befitting reply in this election.” Thakur had apologised later, but her remarks were criticised across party lines.

The Indian government made the second-highest number of requests to Facebook for users’ data during the July to December 2018 period, the social media network said on Thursday. The top position was taken by the United States, followed by India, the...

The Indian government made the second-highest number of requests to Facebook for users’ data during the July to December 2018 period, the social media network said on Thursday. The top position was taken by the United States, followed by India, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

Facebook said that during the second half of 2018, user data requests rose globally from 1,03,815 (during the first half) to 1,10,634. The number of restrictions on content rose 135% from 15,337 to 35,972. Of these, 16,600 items were restricted based on a Delhi High Court order regarding claims made about PepsiCo products, the social media network said.

Facebook also said that it identified 53 disruptions of Facebook services in nine countries from July to December 2018, compared to 48 disruptions in eight countries in the first half of 2018. Of these, India accounted for 85% of the disruptions in the second half of the year.

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis says the team’s record of repeated World Cup heartbreak will have no bearing on a largely youthful squad at the 2019 tournament.Since making their World Cup debut in 1992 after decades of apartheid-enforced...

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis says the team’s record of repeated World Cup heartbreak will have no bearing on a largely youthful squad at the 2019 tournament.

Since making their World Cup debut in 1992 after decades of apartheid-enforced isolation, South Africa have won just one of seven knockout matches – a quarter-final against Sri Lanka in Sydney four years ago.

They have reached the semi-finals four times but have yet to make a final, with a match-winning innings from South Africa-born all-rounder Grant Elliott seeing them beaten by New Zealand in 2015.

And when the World Cup was last staged in England 20 years ago, a dramatic semi-final tie with Australia saw South Africa bow out on net run-rate.

But Du Plessis said that even though he and fellow senior players such as Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn had endured their fair share of World Cup pain, it would not be an issue this time around.

“You can’t control history – I am a firm believer in that,” Du Plessis said at a World Cup captains’ press conference in London. “All you can try and focus on is what is ahead. If you are good enough on the day then great, but if the opposition are better on the day then that’s...

Australian batsmen pushed them out of their comfort zones, handing a rude reality check, but Yuzvendra Chahal is confident that one indifferent series will not affect his and Kuldeep Yadav’s performance at the World Cup.Despite his good show in New...

Australian batsmen pushed them out of their comfort zones, handing a rude reality check, but Yuzvendra Chahal is confident that one indifferent series will not affect his and Kuldeep Yadav’s performance at the World Cup.

Despite his good show in New Zealand, Chahal played only one game against Australia, where he was a touch unlucky due to shoddy fielding before Ashton Turner took him to the cleaners.

“I don’t think we need to worry too much about the Australia series. We have played enough matches against them. Obviously, you can’t win every game that you play. The manner in which the Australian batsmen played us, they deserved to win. We should laud their effort and try to do better when we face them the next time,” said Chahal before leaving for England.

In the 2-3 defeat, what was worrying was how Kuldeep and Chahal were being easily read and no longer was the team management playing both in tandem. It was Ravindra Jadeja who was favoured ahead of Chahal.

Asked if the last few months have been different from the first 18 months in his international career, Chahal replied in the affirmative.

“I don’t see anything different in the past six months when either me or Kuldeep played in the XI....